The Demystification of the Scouting Department's Role

In searching for profiles suitable for each institution's idiosyncrasy and style, the delineation between the scope of application of the department and the club management's decision-making breadth often presents itself in different ways, not without conflicts. So, what is the purpose of the Department?

I've developed in the sports world from various perspectives: as a player, youth coach, assistant coach, youth coordinator, journalist, head coach (both abroad and domestically), advisor to agents and clubs, technical secretary, women's football head coach, fan, and other minor roles I'd rather not recall. But, in all these roles, I always understood that good teams are made with good players, and sourcing the raw materials is crucial for developing in the best way in this sport.

"The raw material," as Colo Regenhardt (coordinator at Boca Juniors) called it, giving capturing youth players a value higher than the rest of the structure (which they didn't neglect either). They had set up a search structure with more than fifteen people, and in 2019, they had seen over 50,000 kids nationwide.

The title of this article is ironic regarding this new trend of fancy names and nomenclatures to refer to simple matters. Scouting is indeed simple, although it ends up being transcendent in the search for players, in an environment where competition is increasingly fierce and finding the player at the right time is more difficult.

The Role of a Scout in Modern Football

It's not easy to make those who control the club's finances understand that the scouting system is an investment, not an expense. That what's invisible today can be monetized in the future. Ultimately, a scout's work carries a significant margin of error, and success cannot be guaranteed, yet the scout's work is crucial and more essential than ever.

While the field of action lies in raw search, where evaluation is general, today it's important, to elevate the function's quality, for the scout to understand and respect the club's vision and guidelines, beyond the coach working at that time.

The style model, where each position entails a search, will help choose, within a range, the characteristics each player should have. This seems obvious, but we still see and sign players competing for the same position with completely different physical and footballing characteristics (let's note: if the team seeks that, having two different profiles. Generally, however, that's not the case).

The scout's broad spectrum leads to various scouting paths: the search for young talents to complete the first team ladder (often, reinforcements come from youth teams, the club's own, or those contracted), monitoring professional players from the institution, tracking suitable leagues, evolving offers, monitoring loaned players, database management, analyzing rival teams (which serves a dual purpose), among other specific activities depending on the institution. All this is done through traditional scouting methods, now also aided by technology, which has facilitated the task, both through videos and performance data.

Accessing the technical and physical aspects is easy, but another function of the scout is to understand what the video doesn't show: the mentality and personality of each player. At this point, we need to be attentive, today more than ever, as teams are built with people, and often, we are deceived by a player's technique, forgetting relevant facets like physical and mental aspects. Character and adaptability to environments are also aspects to consider.

Emerging talents are easily detectable now. However, intuition, experience, and dedication are the fundamental bases of scouting; it's not enough to collect data and use a mathematical equation to evaluate the profiles to be signed.

In summary, a good scout must have the art of merging analytical science with a passion for the game in a continuous and dynamic process where, as in every match, every second counts. They must innovate and strive for excellence. The scout is an indispensable ally in this fast-paced modern football, although being up to par with this competitiveness doesn't guarantee victory.

"Scouting is useless"

This is a topic of constant debate, and since it's often immeasurable, the scouting department tends to be underestimated and considered obsolete and ineffective, as it consumes many resources and success is not guaranteed. The lack of precision is the gray area of the profession, where detractors lean... but ultimately, they come to accept that someone has to search, and if it's organized and methodical, it has a higher chance of success.

Coaches seek to know everything to feel reassured, but the reality is that, in the end, the ball either goes in or doesn't. While scouting in football is not infallible and subject to legitimate criticism, claiming that it's useless is an oversimplification. The scout will always be a valuable tool that contributes to the club's continuous development, far above other areas with higher budgets and visibility.

The issue is why executives are not aware that developing this area is a priority. There could be several factors:

• Embedded football culture: In Argentina, there's a long tradition of trusting the intuition and experience of scouts, agents, or well-intentioned insiders. This entrenched mentality makes adopting new methods, where analysis is more holistic, challenging.

  
  

• Lack of resources: Insufficient funding can limit clubs' ability to conduct exhaustive and systematic scouting.

  
  

• Short-term focus: Pressure for results and short executive tenures prioritize urgent matters.

  
  

• Confidence in the process: Some leaders may distrust due to past experiences of failed recruitment or the perception that scouting isn't reliable or effective.

  
  

In conclusion, scouting in football is a complex topic that has sparked constant debate in the sporting community, especially in Argentina. From my multifaceted experience in the football world, I've learned to value the importance of scouting as a fundamental tool in building successful teams. Despite the criticisms and challenges it faces, I consider scouting as a crucial investment for any club's future.

Indeed, it's not infallible and subject to errors and legitimate criticisms. However, completely disregarding its value would be ignoring its potential to contribute to the institution's continuous development.

Believing in projects is the foundation of everything. Let's analyze an example within the same discipline: players don't stop training when things go wrong or their teams don't win, quite the opposite, as in every field, efforts and seriousness are doubled, training intensifies, but disappearing is never the solution, a common occurrence in this department.

Therefore, only through a real commitment to scouting's development and a profound understanding of its potential can clubs maximize their chances of success on the field.

Bracamonte Hector