Dutch first division side AZ Alkmaar are making a big showing in national and international competitions this season. Also because the team of trainer Pascal Jansen has been a pioneer in the field of data analysis for years.
A pointer and Jordy Clasie sees the free space in which Sven Mijnans wants to start. He sensitively puts the pass into the penalty area, Mijnans takes it with him from the movement, looks up briefly from a half-left position and sees the Emmen keeper a step too far away from the post. A cheeky shot into the near corner and AZ Alkmaar celebrate the opening goal of the game that would end in a 5-1 win a good two hours later. A goal that symbolizes the sporting success of the Dutch team in recent years. One step faster, on the pitch and in your head.
On their own website, Alkmaar describes the default style of play: “We want to play creative, unflinching attacking football that’s fun to watch and aim to dominate every game.”
In order to implement this type of football in the best possible way and to find and form the right puzzle pieces for the overall picture, Alkmaar has been working with several data analysis companies for several years and is considered one of the pioneers in professional football.
The players of AZ Alkmaar in training
Alkmaar receives player profiles with cognitive strengths and weaknesses
For ten years, the two-time champion has been cooperating with “BrainsFirst“, a Dutch company that specializes in analyzing the cognitive performance of athletes. Or to put it more simply: in the case of Alkmaar, they analyze “the brains” of the football players.
“We have developed a game called ‘Neurolympics’ that we can use to explore the different cognitive abilities. On this basis we can create an exact player profile – with the strengths and weaknesses in the individual areas“, explains company founder Eric Castien in an interview with the sports show.
In concrete terms, this means that a large number of neurological processes, which, according to Castien, usually take place unconsciously in footballers during the game, can be made measurable. This includes, for example, the speed of information processing or the ability to recall what has been learned.
Data company makes “magic” measurable
According to Castien, in football games, for example, a player like Joshua Kimmich, who is known for his accurate, long passes, shows that he has very good anticipation for space and time and at the same time quickly gets information, for example the position of the opponent, can process.
The fact that midfield strategists are described as “game-intelligent” in football is not a new invention, but for a long time it was not really tangible. “Clubs knew that talent was about physical, mental, tactical and technical ability. However, there was a fifth element, some trainers spoke of magic. But it’s not magic, it’s a player’s cognitive ability and we can make that measurable” says Castien.
The cooperation bears fruit. In 2015 and 2016, the youth academy received the award for the best youth department in the country.
Almost a dozen of the current Alkmaar players played in the second team or in one of the youth teams before their professional debut. Regulars like Pantelis Chatzidiakos and Tijjani Reijnders serve as figureheads.
AlkmaarJunior leader: “Must stay innovative”
On the team website, junior manager Paul Brandenburg emphasizes that cognitive skills have played a decisive role in the talent search for years. “We have to stay innovative and think outside the box, otherwise the bigger clubs with more resources will eat us up. We are charting a clear path for all of our youth players and if you look at the first team there is solid evidence of that path“, Brandenburg told “Sky Sports“.
With success: Alkmaar is in third place in the league – ahead of Ajax Amsterdam. In the semi-finals of the Conference League, coach Pascal Jansen’s team has to catch up from a 2-1 deficit against West Ham United in the second leg on Thursday evening (May 18th, 2023).
The work with youngsters, the way they play football and a transfer policy that avoids high expenses and focuses more on young talents who take the next step in development at Alkmaar follow an overarching plan.
Alkmaar follows a clear vision
“About ten years ago, the department heads created a vision to guide the club. The players have to fit this philosophy. We want to play dominant, dynamic football with a lot of variety and flexibility. That’s why we check the cognitive, physical, footballing and mental abilities before signing“said chief scout Koen Veenstra to the website”state performance“.
The club has been in the black in every transfer window for almost a decade. Since the 2015/16 season, Alkmaar has booked a transfer profit of almost 150 million euros.
Alkmaar: Achievements for youth and men
Marijn Beuker, who between 2013 and 2021 as “Director Development” worked for Alkmaar, said a few years ago in a lecture at the World Football Summits (a meeting of football representatives from all over the world) that Alkmaar does not buy success, but creates it.
The U19 recently celebrated winning the UEFA-Youth-League, the A youth equivalent of the men’s Champions League. The juniors defeated FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sporting Lisbon in the knockout stages en route to the title, before beating Hajduk Split 5-0 in the final.
AZ Alkmaar U19 players celebrate with the UEFA Youth League trophy.
AZ has sown a clear vision and has been reaping sporting success for several years now. Maybe another title will follow soon.