THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT RETURNS.

Richard Allen has worked across all levels of football, holding leadership roles at Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, and The FA – where he helped shape the development of some of England’s most talented players, including Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Jadon Sancho. As Head of Talent ID at The FA, he also led the creation of the Talent Identification education pathway and currently oversees the FA Level 4 program, designed for staff at Premier League and EFL clubs. Since 2022, Richard has worked with FIFA as a High Performance Specialist and Technical Lead in Talent ID, supporting federations worldwide through the global Talent Development Scheme.


In Graz, he’ll share key lessons from his career building long-term talent identification, development, and performance strategies across clubs, national teams, and beyond.

Since taking over youth development at FC Bayern München in 2017, Jochen Sauer has played a key role in shaping the club’s long-term player development strategy from academy to the first team. His work at the FC Bayern Campus is about more than just producing players. It’s about creating a professional environment where young talents grow into top-level athletes who are ready to meet the demands of a global club while staying rooted in the values that define Bayern.


At this year’s Summit, Jochen will share his experience and perspective on how clubs can combine strategy, structure, and identity to develop talent that’s ready to perform at the highest level.

Starting in July 2025, Paul Schaffran will lead one of the most successful youth academies in European football, an environment known for developing top talents and bridging the gap to the professional level. Paul has been part of BVB’s academy since 2021, first as Head of Sports Science, later as Head of Strategy and Development. His work has helped implement innovative concepts like bio-banding, and he played a key role in shaping Dortmund’s academy structure and recruitment in recent years.


In Graz, he’ll share insights from his journey and explain how Borussia Dortmund continues to evolve its youth development model with the clear goal of helping players transition to professional football.

As one of the leading figures behind Mahd’s nationwide talent development initiative, Abdulaziz has helped shape projects that bridge education, performance, and innovation, from the launch of MAHD School, the first institution of its kind in Saudi Arabia, to the creation of the Sports Tech Lab and an AI-powered scouting platform advancing talent identification across the Kingdom.


With a background in finance and strategy and leadership experience at institutions such as J.P. Morgan Chase and the Saudi National Bank, Abdulaziz brings a unique perspective on building the structures that enable long-term sporting growth.


In Graz, he will share how Mahd Sports Academy is positioning itself as a global reference point in talent development, combining technology, strategy, and education to create opportunities for future generations and strengthen Saudi Arabia’s role in world football.

As Chairman of the Management Board at the Legia Training Center, Wojciech Rokicki oversees one of the most advanced football facilities in Central Europe. It is home to all Legia Warszawa S. A. teams and designed to integrate talent development, performance infrastructure, and business operations. With his experience in leading the construction and daily operations of the Legia Training Center, Wojciech will bring a unique perspective to the Summit, connecting strategic facility development with long-term sporting success.


We’re looking forward to his insights on how environments shape performance and how modern football infrastructure can support player development on and off the pitch.

As U7s–U16s Coaching and Pathway Manager at Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Ben Smith plays a vital role in shaping the early development of young players within one of the Premier League’s most forward-thinking academies. His work focuses on building clear, age-appropriate pathways that help players grow technically, tactically, and personally – from their first steps in the game to the edge of professional football. A former professional with over 400 appearances across the English Football League and Non-League system, Ben brings first-hand experience of what it takes to build a career in the game. Since transitioning into coaching, he has dedicated himself to creating environments where players can thrive long-term – not just by chasing early success, but by nurturing deep football understanding and resilience.


At the Summit, Ben will share how Brighton designs its foundation and youth development phases, the importance of long-term planning, and how clubs can align coaching, education, and opportunity to guide young players through the most formative years of their journey.

As a Data Scientist in the Department of Match Analysis and Innovation at FC Bayern München, Dr. Michael Senske works at the intersection of data, science, and top-level football. With a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and a background in award-winning research, he brings a deep understanding of complex systems into the world of performance analytics.


Michael combines scientific precision with practical football expertise to uncover patterns, improve decision-making, and shape data-driven approaches to player development and scouting. At the Summit, he’ll share how FC Bayern leverages advanced analytics to support long-term player development and how scientific thinking can unlock new potential in football performance.

With more than 20 years in strategy consulting, Tilman has advised clubs, federations, and leagues on their long-term approaches to sports management. Beyond his consulting work, he has published several influential studies on Team Value Management, showing how clubs can turn budgets into squad quality and why efficient management often outperforms raw spending power.


The former McKinsey & Company Partner teaches in leadership programs at the Barça Innovation Hub, the DFB’s Professional Football Management Certificate, and UEFA’s Sporting Director Programme (SDP), helping shape the next generation of leaders in football.


At this year’s Summit, Tilman will build on this body of research and share his perspective on how clubs can align strategy, structure, and resources to achieve sustainable sporting success.

With a background in sport economics, coaching education at the DFB, and scouting experience in the German Bundesliga, Steffen combines academic research with hands-on football expertise. At TSG ResearchLab, he focuses on tactical learning, decision-making, and the use of innovative technologies such as football-specific VR training.


In his keynote, Steffen will present new research on the diagnostics of perception and decision-making in football. Specifically, he will compare 360° screens and VR headsets, showing how players’ visual behaviour differs between the two technologies and what this means for practice in diagnostics and training.

Antonio has been part of Sevilla FC since 2016, starting his career at the Academy Residence, where he supported the development of young players.


He later moved into strategic roles within the club’s executive management before being appointed to lead Sevilla’s pioneering neuroscience project in 2024. This initiative applies cutting-edge science to enhance player performance and development at the Academy.


In Graz, Antonio will share how Sevilla FC integrates neuroscience into its player development pathway and what football can learn from applying this research in practice.

For almost two decades, Amilcar has been deeply engaged in player and coach development. After ten years working directly in youth coaching he transitioned into management, where he has spent the past decade helping to shape the club’s academy philosophy.


Currently serving as Academy Vice Director, Amilcar oversees the methodology department, technology development, and coaches’ education. His work centers on building an integrated framework that connects methodology, innovation, and people, ensuring Lech’s academy continues to prepare young players and coaches for success at the highest level.


In Graz, Amilcar will share how Lech’s long-term vision, structured methodology, and investment in technology come together to create a sustainable model for talent development and club growth.

With a Ph.D. at the intersection of rehabilitation- and neuroscience and an extensive research background at the University of Pittsburgh, Felix has published over 20 peer-reviewed studies on neuromuscular performance, decision-making, and applied physiology.


Before joining the Colorado Rapids, he led the Sports Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh and worked with top-level football environments in Germany, including Borussia Dortmund and VfL Bochum.


At the Summit, Felix will share how the Rapids apply data and neuroscientific principles to optimize training, enhance player performance, and turn research into actionable insights for daily operations.

At Club Brugge, Tim oversees performance development across the entire academy, from U8 to Club NXT, the club’s professional U23 team competing in Belgium’s 1B Pro League. His work focuses on creating performance models that balance collective identity with true individual growth, ensuring that every player follows a personalized development pathway.


Before entering football, Tim worked with Olympic-level athletes across multiple sports, supporting world-class performers such as Isaac Kimeli, Nina Derwael, and Marten Van Riel on their paths to the highest level. Drawing from this multidisciplinary background, he brings a deep understanding of physiology, recovery, and data-driven performance optimization.


In Graz, Tim will present how Club Brugge is redefining player development, shifting focus from short-term team results to long-term individual progress within a high-performance culture.