The Indonesian League (PT Liga Indonesia Baru) has entrusted the Ekkono Method to lead and manage the Elite Pro Academy Future Stars Development Program, whose main objective is to improve the performance of the country’s young players and to educate their coaches on how to properly train the individual development of footballers.
The program will involve the participation of the 18 clubs from Indonesia’s First Division, which, along with Ekkono, will select the three best U-16 players from each team to focus on.
Throughout the season, these 54 players (three from each of the 18 teams) will receive four video analysis reports (IPPP), which will identify areas for improvement and strengths to develop.
Additionally, the 18 Indonesian clubs participating in the program will receive three visits from Ekkono coaches at their facilities. During these visits, the Ekkono coaches will provide coachin education for each club’s coaches, present video analysis reports to the selected players and conduct individualized on-field training sessions with them, and observe the club’s U-16 matches, offering technical feedback and guidance, among other tasks.
Finally, during the last visit to Indonesia, the best player from each team (18 in total) will be selected to travel to Spain for a two-week stay, where they will train with some of the best clubs and academies in the country.
Additionally, a coach from each team will accompany the delegation and will enjoy two weeks of theoretical and practical coaching education delivered by Ekkono in Barcelona.
Bethesda Soccer Club, based in Maryland, is one of the leading youth football organizations in the U.S., known for producing collegiate and professional-level talent. With over 40 years of history, Bethesda is dedicated to providing the highest standard of football education and competition, serving players from U7 to U19.
This partnership with Ekkono Method aims to elevate the club’s player and coach development efforts. Ekkono will provide on-site and online educational opportunities to ensure Bethesda SC coaches receive a comprehensive, 360º approach to the methodology. Additionally, Ekkono will organize diverse activities throughout the season, ensuring that all players have the chance to be trained by an Ekkono Licensed Coach.
This collaboration is set to further enhance Bethesda SC's reputation as a top-tier development program, providing new opportunities for both players and coaches.
IFK Varnamö will begin utilizing the Ekkono PRO Data system this September to maximize the performance of its first men's team.
The Swedish club has acquired a license that includes Individual Player Performance Programs (IPPPs) tailored for first-team players. This advanced video analysis service focuses on individual player development, providing detailed insights and personalized improvement plans. Additionally, the coaching staff will receive regular team performance reports, aimed at identifying areas for improvement and highlighting key strengths to be enhanced.
With this initiative, IFK Varnamö is making a strong commitment to continued growth, ensuring the best possible support for its players and coaching staff.
With the recent arrival of Jimmy Thelin as the new First Team Manager of Aberdeen FC, and driven by the Club’s ambition to consistently challenge for major honours, Aberdeen FC has engaged with Ekkono Soccer Services.
The collaboration will see the provision of support to Aberdeen FC, with Jimmy reunited with Fran Rubio – who he worked with during his successful period at Elfsborg – seconded from Ekkono to Aberdeen FC to be part of the First Team coaching structure, with a specific focus on individual player development and implementation of the game model.
Steven Gunn, Director of Football Aberdeen FC: "Jimmy enjoyed much success through Elfsborg’s collaboration with Ekkono, with their support being a key component of Elfsborg’s positive progress on the pitch. Alongside supporting the execution of the game model, Fran will have a key focus on players within the transition phase between Academy and First Team football, providing focused individual support to our emerging talent and younger First Team players."
Miquel Farrerons, CEO Ekkono Soccer Services: "It is an honour to join forces with such a powerful project at a historic club like Aberdeen FC. We will give our best to achieve the desired results."
Nara Club's methodology department, under the leadership of the Ekkono Method, has released its annual report highlighting significant achievements in sporting results and club growth. The department, headed by Darío Rodríguez and supported by the Ekkono Engine team in Barcelona, has successfully established a recognizable club identity and enhanced overall performance.
Below you will find a summary of the most important points discussed in the annual report.
Key Achievements (2021-2023):
Processes Implemented:
New Initiatives for 2024-2025:
Nara Club aims to continue its upward trajectory by consolidating existing processes and incorporating new initiatives to strengthen its identity and community ties.
Mitsuru Hamada, Nara club's president states: “Investing in the long-term development of Nara Club is one of the most important strategic lines. It is precisely for this reason that, in 2021, I decided that if we wanted a strong, stable club with its own identity, it was necessary to develop a methodology department. Three years later, I couldn't be more satisfied with the results achieved, as well as the work carried out by all the club's staff”.
On the occasion of the start of the 2024 season, HJK Helsinki and Ekkono Soccer Services announce their collaboration agreement. This agreement involves HJK Helsinki's use of a license for the Ekkono Pro Data service.
The service, entirely focused on the performance of the Finnish club's first team, will allocate all its resources to the individual improvement of players, game analysis, and support in scouting processes. In all cases, the focus will be purely technical. In other words, the Ekkono Pro Data service will provide tools, resources, and knowledge so that players, staff, and responsible individuals can make better decisions with the maximum amount of quality information available.
During the preseason, both organizations have dedicated time to testing the service and adapting it to the club's actual needs.
To kick off the 2024 season, an agreement has been formalized between the GIF Sundsvall club and Ekkono Soccer Services consultancy. The aim of this partnership is to provide guidance, with Ekkono deploying one of its certified coaches permanently to the club in addition to the support from Ekkono Engine in Barcelona.
While the primary focus will be on advising the first team, there will also be implementation of certain processes within the academy.
By signing this agreement, GIF Sundsvall gains access to the Ekkono Pro Data service. This entails Ekkono primarily focusing on tasks such as video analysis, performance keys, mentorship for key club personnel, and methodology.
After the successful previous season where IF Elfsborg finished in 2nd position in the Allsvenskan League with one of the youngest squads in the league, the Swedish club and Soccer Services Barcelona have agreed to extend the use of the Ekkono Method in their structure for another season.
The primary objective of this agreement is to assist the club in achieving its goals both in terms of the first team's performance and the development of the academy through the Ekkono Method.
In this regard, IF Elfsborg, in collaboration with Ekkono, has commenced preparations for the upcoming season with a training stage in Portugal, where they faced off against various Nordic clubs before kicking off their initial matches in the Svenska Cupen.
Recently, David Hernandez, one of the co-authors of the Ekkono Method, accompanied by Ekkono Licensed Coach Pol Deulonder, made our third trip to Tel Aviv this season as part of our ongoing project with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
During the visit, we took the opportunity to chat with Hapoel Tel Aviv’s staff about game analysis, perceptive skills, and club methodology, as well as carrying on two training sessions with academy teams and watch different club’s matches.
In addition, we also had productive meetings to help the club develop their Methodology department professionally according to the club's principles and identity.
The professional director of the youth department, Assaf Granstein, said: "We have been in close contact with the Ekkono company for several months. This is a very experienced company that works with advanced academies in Europe and various associations around the world. We are very happy about this cooperation, our relationship with them is excellent and I am sure that connecting with them will upgrade us professionally, and help us develop the future players of the club."
After completing the first half of the season, IF Elfsborg tops the league standings, being the team with the least goals conceded and averaging 2.4 goals scored per match. Additionally, several young players, such as Gustaf Lagerbielke and Jeppe Okkels, who are following the Individual Players Performance Program (IPPP), have become crucial in the team's impressive performance.
Furthermore, the club's academy continues to produce young talents, making IF Elfsborg the third-youngest squad in the league, with an average age of 23.5 years.
As a result, IF Elfsborg, with whom we reached a collaboration agreement last season to support them in achieving their first-team performance objectives, is consolidating its position as one of the reference clubs in Swedish football.
Jimmy Thelin, the head coach of the team, states that "Ekkono Method, with their technical support and coaching education, has been a great compliment and support for me in my professional career".
In early May, Ekkono had the opportunity to travel to China as part of the collaboration between Soccer Services Barcelona and Shandong Taishan FC. During this visit, technical coaching educations were conducted for the coaches and technical staff of the club, as well as some physical education teachers from the Shandong province.
The main objective of these educations was to test a new collaboration model designed to assist and guide schools of the province, in creating a training program for their physical education teachers, with the purpose of improving the teaching of football in a more didactic and enjoyable manner in schools.
Albirex Niigata Singapore, the most awarded club from Singapore, and Soccer Services Barcelona have reached an agreement for the use of the Ekkono Method in order to enhance the identity of the Club by implementing a Methodology Department.
This methodology department will be a centralized hub for knowledge sharing and best practices across the club. This promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement among the coaching staff and players, which can have a positive impact on the overall performance of the club. In the long run, coaches will become capable of developing and molding the youth into national talents which are good players both on and off the field.
After signing the agreement, Daisuke Korenaga, Albirex Niigata Singapore’s president stated that “The collaboration between Soccer Services Barcelona and Albirex Niigata FC (S) is a promising development for Singapore football and our Centre of Excellence (COE) youth players. The Ekkono methodology has been proven successful in developing young players in Japan and other countries, and the adoption of this method by Albirex Singapore is a positive step towards improving the quality of football in Singapore.”
With the implementation of the Ekkono methodology, we can expect to see improvements in the technical skills and decision-making abilities of our COE players. We hope to create a new generation of players who can compete at the highest level. This will lead to a more competitive and exciting Singapore football scene and may even help to produce future stars of the game.”
Meanwhile, Miquel Farrerons, CEO of Soccer Services Barcelona, highlighted that: “We very excited to kick off this new project with Albirex Niigata Singapore. We are looking forward to meet all the local staff and move forward together.”
Hapoel Tel Aviv FC, the century-old club and 14-time winner of the Israeli League, has recently announced several key additions to its football operations following the entry of new American owners.
Among these additions, stands out Soccer Services Barcelona, which will serve as a Football Methodology Consultant for the club with the aim of optimizing the development and performance of players, coaches, and the entire academy. The new ownership has valued the experience and knowledge of Soccer Services Barcelona's consultants, as well as the added value of the Ekkono Method processes.
In early March, the CEO of Soccer Services Barcelona traveled to Tel Aviv to begin the technical audit, kicking off this exciting new project. In addition, Nick Hammond (former Sporting Director of Celtic FC and West Bromwich Albion, and more recently Recruitment Consultant for Newcastle FC) and MRKT Insights (a London-based scouting and analytics firm) have also joined the project to boost all areas of the club.
Liran Muchtar CEO of the club states: "[...] We would like to thank our new ownership group for providing these resources to the club during the current ownership transition period and beyond [...]"
The Amazing Academy Yamanashi teams will begin their 5th season, using the Ekkono Method in the coming weeks after finishing the previous season with great sporting achievements.
The U15 team won the League, achieving promotion to the Kanto League, the highest possible category of their age. In addition, they managed to win the Club Kanto Challenge Cup after beating Kashiwa Reysols in the final and in the Club Cup that pitted all the Yamanashi teams against each other.
For its part, the U14 team was promoted to the highest division of Yamanashi Prefecture, which was the fourth consecutive promotion in 2 years. In addition, they won the New Face Cup which pits the best teams in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Finally, the U13 team managed to finish the season in a meritorious second position in the Yamanashi League.
These results are the consequence of the great work done by all the Ekkono coaches involved in the project, as well as the club's staff. During these four seasons, the Methodology Department, led by Ekkono, has focused on carrying out the most important processes within the Ekkono Smart and Ekkono Identity proposals.
Within these processes, it is necessary to emphasize the rigorous content planning work reviewed bimonthly, in which the content is adjusted under the adaptability of the players.
In addition, all the training sessions follow the Ekkono Smart proposal, basing the tasks on real game situations and giving special attention to the perception and understanding of the game.
Finally, it is important to mention the Co-Analysis activities in which the players of the different categories analyze each other, guaranteeing the correct understanding of the game model.
Last week Nara Club finished its second season using the Ekkono Method, both in the first team and in the club's academy with outstanding results.
The first team not only achieved the promotion to J3 but also managed to win the League, finishing the season in first position.
On the other hand, the great work done in the academy also brought excellent results; the U18 team win the league and promote the category, the U15 team winning the league, and the U14 team ending up in promotion positions.
These results are the consequence of many hours of work and effort from all the club's staff, the Ekkono Licensed Coaches based in Nara, and the support of the Ekkono Lab in Barcelona.
During these two seasons, the Methodology Department led by the Ekkono Method has mainly focused on carrying out the most important processes within the Ekkono Pros and Ekkono Identity proposals.
One of the most significant and key processes for achieving great results was the weekly Individualized Player Performance Program (IPPP), through which all players were at their highest level and had constant improvement.
On a collective level, the Ekkono Pros Key Performances was essential to prioritize different game aspects in order to create the strongest and most compact team possible. In addition, the action of establishing the scouting analysis criteria was also indispensable to achieve signing the best players according to what the club was looking for.
Finally, it should also be remarked the incredible daily support offered on field and the technical sessions carried out together with the club's coaches, pursuing the objective of standardizing the game model and training methodology within the academy teams.
Last month, David Hernández, co-founder of the Ekkono method, and Miquel Farrerons, CEO of Soccer Services Barcelona, traveled to the Italian city of Vicenza to participate in the coaching sessions that L.R. Vicenza organizes periodically, addressed for all coaches of the club and its affiliated clubs.
These training sessions with international speakers are one more example of the ambitious project that the historic L.R. Vicenza is carrying out, since the new owners acquired the club with the clear objective of promoting it to Serie A.
During these days, Ekkono Method mainly focused its educations in Perception, and explained in detail what concepts should be trained depending on the age of the players, giving a practical demonstration to all the club's coaches.
After the conclusion of the educations, Ekkono and L.R. Vicenza agreed to extend the collaboration to continue offering regular coaching education to the club's coaches.
Miquel Farrerons states that “It is a pleasure for us to participate in these coaching education sessions. We are convinced that following this line of work, the L.R. Vicenza will achieve all its set goals.”
Francesco Vallone, Technical Director of the L.R. Vicenza, concludes that “It was a privilege to have David and Miquel with us. Our coaches leant about training methodology. It will help our players to better interpret spaces and time. I am sure that all concepts exhibited have created a lot of curiosity to our coaches. All our coaches have been really enthusiastic about the approach of our guests. A big thank you for this contribution.”
For the third consecutive season, we are carrying out a "Co-Analysis" activity at the Amazing Academy Methodology Department, in which all the academy players participate. This activity, which is included in the Ekkono Identity Co-Learning pillar, pursues the objective of improving players' understanding and ability to analyze the game.
Co-Learning is one of the four pillars on which the Ekkono Method is based to create or enhance an identity, and it consists of decentralizing teaching processes to accelerate learning processes.
During the "Co-Analysis" activity, players from one category (A) analyze different aspects of the game from players from another category of the academy (B). These aspects are previously defined by the Director of Methodology, taking into account the level of knowledge and the age of the players. After the analysis, players A provide feedback to players A on how many good actions they performed and how also on the number of actions to improve in the analyzed aspect of the game.
Therefore, the process of the “Co-Analysis” activity is as follows:
After the activity, several players from the academy stated the following: ”The Co-Analysis activity is of great help to us since, on the one hand, it allows us to improve our ability to analyze the game, and on the other hand , helps us improve as a player by receiving an external opinion on our performance from a teammate”.
The Swedish club IF Elfsborg, 6 times champion of the Swedish league and 2 times winner of the UEFA Intertoto among others, has recently announced its collaboration agreement with Soccer Services Barcelona to expand the use of the Ekkono Method within its structure.
The main objective of this agreement is to help the club achieve its objectives both in terms of the performance of the first team and the development of the academy.
After the signing of the agreement, Stefan Andreasson, manager of IF Elfsborg, stated that “we have been working with Soccer Services sporadically for some time, but the continuous work that will be carried out from now on will be unique. Soccer Services will complement IF Elfsborg's work in the areas where we believe it can add best value. We are very proud to start this collaboration and we look forward to working together.”
For his part, Miquel Farrerons, CEO of Soccer Services Barcelona, concluded the following: “We are well aware of IF Elfsborg's current achievements and ambitions. The project of this club is unique and has been consolidated year after year. There is already a 'dream team' of people leading the organization. For this reason, we are convinced that through the Ekkono method we can help the club continue to grow”.
Last Friday David Hernández, co-founder of the Ekkono method, traveled to the French city of Mulhouse to offer a technical speech to the historic FC Mulhouse, the second oldest club in France, founded in 1893.
Under the title "The creation of a curriculum for the initiation and specialization stage", the lecture had a great reception, with the attendance not only of coaches from FC Mulhouse, but also from the French Football Federation and clubs from the surroundings.
During the lecture, the planning of content to be carried out during the initiation (U7-U13) and specialization (U14-U18) stages was discussed, examples of content blocks that should exist in such planning were shown, and the best way to organized these blocks and the importance of each of them depending on the objectives of the club were explained.
Last October, we presented to Albirex Niigata’s directors a new report in which we summarized the progress of all the processes carried out by the Methodology Department during the current season.
It should be highlighted that all the processes started and implemented during the 2021 season, seek to meet the following 8 main objectives of the Methodology Department:
To know every detail of each process carried out, you can download the full report from the following links:
Last September, we started the “Mirror Training” activity at the Nara Club Methodology Department, a Co-Learning activity addressed to all club's coaches.
Co-Learning, one of the four pillars on which the Ekkono Method is based to create or enhance club identity, consists in decentralizing the teaching processes to accelerate the learning processes.
The “Mirror Training” activity is carried out in pairs of coaches, in which Coach A prepares and explains to Coach B a training task, and B carries it out with his team under the supervision and subsequent feedback from Coach A. Subsequently, roles will be swapped.
Therefore the "Mirror Training" process is as follows:
Therefore, through the “Mirror Training” activity we will get the coaches to work together and be able to capture ideas from other coaches, increasing cohesion within the club.
Taka, assistant coach in Nara Club U18 team, says: “Mirror training is a really good tool to grow as a coach. I can learn the ideas about the rules, limits and the concepts from the other coaches and it’s totally different from me "
The Australian Adelaide University Soccer Club, founded in 1936, has recently announced its partnership with us to support its coaching education department by the use of the Ekkono Method.
During this collaboration, we will help educate all academy and first team coaches about some of the most important aspects, such as: Training Methodology (going from Initiation stage to Specialization stage and to High Performance stage), Planning, Physical Fitness and Game Analysis, as well as go in-depth into Individual Fundamentals per Position.
In addition, a yearly access to the Ekkono Coaches Academy (our virtual campus where coaches will find plenty of quality content) will be given to AUSC’s coaches in order to keep on learning from the Ekkono Method.
Miquel Farrerons, Soccer Services Barcelona CEO: "We are very excited to kick off this long-term relationship with Adelaide University and its football club. We will do our best to help Adelaide Uni in achieving its sportive and educational objectives"
Michael Matricciani, AUSC Senior Men’s Coach & Junior Boys Technical Director, speaks further about “what a great opportunity this new partnership is for all of our members and coaches”, on the next video:
Last June, Oya Mizuki and Takano Shuya, both from Albirex Niigata’s U18 team, had the pleasure of debuting with Albirex Niigata’s first team during an official match.
The debut was made during the first round of the Emperor's Cup played against Zweigen Kanazawa and ended with a 4-1 result in favor of Albirex Niigata.
This great news gains even more weight taking into account that it has been 3 years since a player from the Albirex Niigata Academy made his debut with the first team. A fact that shows the high level that an U18 player must have to be able to compete in the J-League.
Since we reached an agreement in early 2019 with Albirex Niigata to use the Ekkono Identity method in their academy through the creation of the Methodology Department, we have prepared and presented to Oya Mizuki and Takano Shuya a total of 9 individualized reports that served to improve their performance and enhance their strengths.
From Ekkono we would like to congratulate both players and the club for this great news which reflects the great job that the entity does both in improving its academy and in building club identity.
Finally, we would like to show our special thanks to Uchida Jun (Academy Director), who not only coached both players in the past, but as Academy Director he perfectly takes care of the structure of the Academy and helps the Methodology Department carrying out all established processes, and to Irie Toru (U18 team Head Coach) for the great work he is doing with the players on his squad.
Last June 1, the periodic technical discussion held between the Albirex Niigata Methodology Director and the Academy coaches had a special guest: Carles Romagosa, technical director of Thailand FA and co-author of the Ekkono Method.
The main topic of the discussion was “How to help young footballers to be professionals?” and it was attended by both the academy coaches and women's team coaches, who showed big interest and asked some great questions.
During the session, Carles remembered all good memories he has after his almost 10 visits to Japan where he worked with players and coaches, and highlighted the huge leap in quality that Japanese youth and professional football has recently taken.
Uchida Jun, Albirex Niigata’s Academy Director said: “We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Ekkono for providing us with this education opportunity. I strongly believe that being a good leader is essential to develop good players, and this is why we use technical discussions as a “learning place” to continue learning."
On the next lines, you can find some of the questions that Carles answered during the session:
Question: When deciding how many minutes of game to give players in official competitions, what is the balance between competing and learning in the U18 category?
Answer: In the Youth category it is important to give all players opportunities, but as we are in the pre-professional football stage, it is also important to make future players play for longer.
Question: Broadly speaking, which different concepts do you have to train in Junior, Junior Youth and Youth categories?
Answer: Players understand the game differently based on their age. Therefore, we must train different things according to their age. In Junior category it is important to train concepts more related with the player’s relationship with the ball, in Junior Youth category the concepts which should be trained are those that help the players to manage the spaces so that the possessor and non-possessors have an advantage, and in Youth category, collective fundamentals are essential to be understood.
Question: Based on your experience training and scouting young talents, which types of young players are the most likely to be professionals?
Answer: In general, among the most talented players, the ones who are most likely to be professionals are those who pay attention to the small details. This means that you need talent, plus effort in training, plus taking care of the external aspects of training. From club’s vison, it is important that we also guide families to educate them in those external aspects that are important for the player.
Question: What percentage of freedom in the game should be given to U12 players?
Answer: A very important aspect in these ages is having fun. It is important not to confuse fun with giving freedom to play as the players want, because talented players have the most fun when the team plays well, not when everyone plays the way they want.
Question: At what point do you propose to set player’s position?Answer: It is important not to do it too early and to experiment in various positions. In clubs where an associative style of play is played, it usually happens those players who as children played in advanced positions, at the end of their Initiation Stage or at the beginning of their Professional Stage, end up playing in more backward positions. For example, Jordi Alba when he was U14 he played as a midfielder and Sergio Busquets when he played at Barça B with Guardiola, he played some matches as Advanced Midfielder.
On April 23, coinciding with the International Day of the Book, Sant Jordi's Day is celebrated in Barcelona, where it is used to give the most loved ones a book and a rose.
Therefore, we cannot think of a better day to announce the launch of the second book of the Ekkono Method, “Ekkono Identity: The invisible part of Success”, in digital format.
The development of a football game model, a DNA in the Training Academy, and the ultimate creation of an identity are some of the current challenges faced by professional clubs. It is a proven fact that this is the best way to train a professional player for the first team and it is the right approach for a team’s economic strategy to be sustainable.
How to achieve it? Which structures should be coordinated in the organization? What are the processes to be carried out? This book includes an answer to all these questions and describes the authors’ experience, which they have been gathering for more than 20 years working with professional clubs all over the world.
Comprehend the importance of building an identity, explore the concepts of Talkmade, Smartfielder, Co-Learning and Committees, learn about the opinion of soccer experts, deep dive into each concept and how we applied it around the World, and find out real examples of material used in our projects.
Visit the link below and order your book!
https://ekkonocoaches.com/ekkonomethodbook
After a successful season in which IFK Göteborg won their 8th Swedish Cup, the historic Swedish club has announced the extension of their collaboration with us for one more season.
In this way, during this 3rd season of collaboration, we will keep on working on the construction of the club's identity, as well as working and advising young players of the club through our individualized programs (IPPP), and trying to maximize the performance of the first team.
Pontus Farnerud Sporting Director of IFK Göteborg stated that “Coach Ekkono Ferran is very popular in IFK Goteborg, not least in the player squad for both his personality and skills. He has a football knowledge that few coaches possess and has together with Roland found a well-functioning dynamic and a good way of working. It feels great that we agree on a continuation in 2021.
For his part, Roland Nilsson, coach of the first team, comments: “It is great to see how the collaboration between us has developed from day one and it will be exciting to see how we tackle together next season. We have done and are doing a great deal of analysis work to achieve success in 2021, and Ekkono plays an important role there”.
The historic Persija Jakarta club, founded in 1928 and proudly the most successful club in the PSSI competition with a collection of 11 league titles, has recently announced its collaboration agreement with us in order to use the Ekkono Method.
In this way, the Indonesian Club joins the large list of recent clubs such as Universidad Católica de Chile and San José Earthquakes, that have trusted the Ekkono Method to enhance their club’s identity and maximize their performance.
During this collaboration, we will educate the club’s directors and coaches about some of the most important aspects such as how to create and use a Methodology Department, how to build a great club identity and how to develop Smart Players, as well as go in-depth into Individual and Team fundamentals.
Our CEO, Miquel Farrerons, expressed his excitement to work together with Persija Jakarta. According to him, this is a proud step of cooperation for the development of Indonesian football, especially Persija.
"We are very grateful for Persija Jakarta’s trust in us. It will be a privilege to help the improvement of such a highly awarded club and with such a clear development project" said Miquel.
This collaboration was also enthusiastically welcomed by the Director of Persija, Jakarta, Ferry Paulus. According to him “as a big club, it is only natural for Persija to have a strong Sports Department based on modern methodologies. The collaboration with Ekkono is Persija's commitment to the development of future football" he said.
Nara Club and Soccer Services Barcelona (SSB) have reached an agreement to use the Ekkono method both with the first team and in the club's Academy.
To do so, the Japanese club announces the creation of a Methodology Department, which will be managed by Ekkono, as well as entrust the management of the 1st team to an Ekkono Licensed Coach.
The main objectives of this collaboration, which will start in February 2021, are to build a game model and homogeneous identity from the Academy to the First Team, and to aspire in the long term to produce highest level young players.
Therefore, the main pillars of the project will be:
• Construction of a unified game model.
• Homogenization of the training methodology.
• Coaching education and tutelage to all club’s coaches
• Creation of a scouting plan to identify the best players
As the president of Nara Club Mitsuru Hamada states, “we are proud to announce the use of such a successful method as Ekkono in our club’s structure. After more than 10 years working together, I have been able to verify the benefits of using the method in professional teams, so I am convinced that Ekkono will help us achieve the established objectives and the growth of Nara Club. "
For his part, Miquel Farrerons, CEO of Soccer Services Barcelona affirms that "Japan is a very special country for us where we have 5 projects. We are very proud that Nara Club has decided to strengthen its structure through our consulting services. We want to thank the ownership and, especially the president, for their trust in us. We are convinced that the use of the Ekkono Method in its Identity version will accelerate the growth of the club, also improving its results at a sporting and social level "
With this new collaboration, the Ekkono Method continues to strengthen its foundations in Japan, where it has been present for more than 10 years.
Creating intelligent players is becoming a trend in modern football. However, it’s important to question, what is behind this expression? What makes an intelligent player? How should a Club or Federation organize themselves to create such profiles of players? What should I train if I want to become an intelligent player?
All of these questions and many more are coming from club owners, parents, coaches, and players from all over the world. But there is no single answer for any of them.
In this book you will find the history of the EKKONO METHOD, a successful football model used by a wide range of clubs and federations worldwide who share a common objective: become a reference in developing youth players.
Visit the link below and order your book before they run out! You can choose between e-book digital version or hard copy version.
https://ekkonocoaches.com/ekkonomethodbook
Recently, HJK and Eerikkilä (Ekkono Method’s partner in Finland) have signed a cooperation agreement which enables HJK to utilize the Ekkono Method more extensively in its coaching.
Considered as Finland's biggest club, HJK is the most successful Finnish club in terms of championship titles, with 29 Finnish Leagues and 13 Finnish Cups won. Moreover, HJK is the only Finnish club that has participated in the UEFA Champions’ League group stage.
The deal between HJK and Eerikkilä is an important step towards HJK’s ambition to be the best football club in the Nordic countries. According to Miika Takkula, HJK’s sports and development director:
“We trust that we will have the most advanced coaching program in the Nordic region. We have systematically developed our coaching system since 2015. We are not making any revolutionary changes in our present operation but fine-tuning our existing model. Soccer Services offer us key expertise that we lack. Since our coaching system is heavily based on Soccer Services’ Ekkono Method this step is only logical.”
Despite their recent defeat in the UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich, PSG have been among the elite of world football for several years now. This success can, in part, be credited to the brilliant work they are doing with their youth teams, as Paris Saint-Germain’s academy has become one of the best world-class players producers in recent years.
An example of which is Kingsley Coman, who scored the winning goal in the final and was trained at the PSG’s academy from a young age, before signing for Juventus. Coman aside, there is a large list of players who came out of PSG’s academy and are now succeeding in Europe: Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Dan Axel Zagadou (Borussia Dortmund) , Jean-Kevin Augustin (RB Leipzig),…
During our 3 years of collaboration with the club, we had the opportunity to work with several of these players. Among them, was the promising young French player, Yacine Adli, who stated "I have made a lot of progress both tactically and technically thanks to the method of David Hernández, with whom I have worked a lot on an individual level."
Last Thursday, IFK Göteborg managed to beat Malmö FF in the final of the Svenska Cupen achieving their eighth Swedish Cup.
This new title that has not been achieved since the 2014-2015 season, widens even more the club's trophy record, which also includes 15 Swedish Leagues and 2 UEFA Cups, among other competitions.
After a year and a half collaborating with the club, from Soccer Services Barcelona we would like to congratulate them for this great achievement and express our immense happiness and enthusiasm to verify that when you trust in the process, no challenge is unreachable.
Grattis IFK Göteborg!!
There is no doubt that soccer interest in the United States and the professionalization of the MLS clubs are growing by leaps and bounds. Proof of this is the selection of United States joint bid, together with Mexico and Canada, to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In this scenario, we had the chance to collaborate with the Californian club San Jose Earthquakes, the two-time MLS champion.
It should be noted that the Earthquakes´ Methodology Department and Academy coaches have made great progress defining a precise style of play and further aligning themselves with the first team.
As Alex Covelo, Methodology Director at San Jose Earthquakes indicates: “During this time in which we haven’t been able to take the field, we’re fortunate to be able to gain knowledge from one of the world’s most respected soccer methodology leaders in Ekkono”
A few days ago, our CEO Miquel Farrerons was interviewed on Soccer Matters, a sports program broadcasted on the American channel ESPN and directed by Glenn Davis.
During the course of the interview, Miquel spoke about the Ekkono projects carried out around the world, such as our collaboration with PSG or FA Thailand, as well as recently, at the Catholic University of Chile.
At the same time, he answered questions about our Individual Players Performance Plan followed with top-class players such as the American Christian Pulisic, and had the opportunity to explain what is the Ekkono Identity methodology and its differences with Ekkono Smart.
More and more professional clubs are showing their interest in enhancing their identity and maximizing their performance by implementing the Ekkono Method.
On this occasion, the historic Santiago Wanderers, founded in 1892 making the club the oldest one in Chile, joins the list of Chilean football clubs with which we have recently reached a collaboration agreement.
The objective of this project is none other than to enhance the sports identity of the club through the use of the Ekkono Method, mainly emphasizing on the club's academy.
In this way, the president of the club Rafael González, valued this agreement highlighting the benefits that it will bring for the institution, affirming that “this collaboration seeks to continue promoting and perfecting the work we are developing, around a coherent sports and institutional identity with the importance and history of Santiago Wanderers. For this reason, the application will be transversal to all levels, with the aim of making the most of a specialized company that has been working for years with some of the best teams in the world ”.
The collaboration agreement between Soccer Services Barcelona and Universidad Católica de Chile, one of the biggest clubs in Chile (14 first division titles, 4 Chilean Cups, 2 Supercups and one Interamerican Cup among others) has been made official today.
The first stage of the project, which will be attended by coaches of its academy and women’s teams as well as the main executives of the club’s sports services, will focus on providing Universidad Católica de Chile with technical and strategic support, with the aim of further enhancing the training of players through the Ekkono method. To this end, football aspects as important as methodology, planning and game model will be considered.
As Nelson Parraguez (Academy Manager at Universidad Católica) put it, "we hope that this newly started collaboration with Ekkono will be of mutual benefit. We have focused it on our Academy Football, taking advantage of the moment we are living in and the experience and knowledge guaranteed by the Ekkono method".
Recently, we have finished our first season of collaboration at Albirex Niigata with a clear objective: Make the Albirex Niigata Academy the one with the highest production of professional players in the region and with the best coaches.
In the report presented to the club, we show you all the actions carried out jointly within each of the pillars of Ekkono Identity, as well as the achievements and proposed next steps of each of these actions.
The main focuses of the project were:
To know in detail all the work done within the club, you have the full report available at the following link:
After having the pleasure of visiting O'Higgins FC a few months ago and owing to the impression we made on them, we have reached an agreement with the Chilean club to use the Ekkono Identity method in their organization.
Through this collaboration, O'Higgins FC, 2014 Chilean Super Cup and 2013 Chilean First Division’s Torneo Apertura champions, will receive personalized training focused on making the most of the club's training and methodology.
After closing the agreement, Pablo Calandria, the club's sports manager, said that "our meeting at Monasterio Celeste Sports Center that was held some months ago opened the doors enabling that today, despite the circumstances, we can meet again to plan a joint effort”.
Recently, Christchurch United FC, 6-time winner of the New Zealand National League and many others from the Chatham Cup, and Soccer Services Barcelona, have reached a collaboration agreement to use the Ekkono Identity method.
The project aims to increase the effectiveness of club’s methodology already existing in the club. To do so, personalized technical support will be provided, both to all the Academy's coaches, and to the Director of Methodology.
Michiel Buursma, Head of coaching and methodology Christchurch United: “Ekkono is a highly renowned program and used by professional football academies around the globe. We are looking forward to learning a lot from Ekkono during the upcoming period, so when we get back on the field, we can help our players develop even better!”
After the end of the Allsvenskan 2019 season, where IFK Göteborg surpassed the initial expectations for this season, last week we travelled to Gothenburg to meet with the club managers.
In the meetings, a summary and a positive analysis of our first season collaborating with the Swedish club were carried out. In addition, our utmost degree of collaboration was agreed for the following season.
Besides, we took the opportunity to present a final report of the season summarizing the impact of the collaboration and the use of the Ekkono method in different aspects and areas within the club.
As Max Markusson, CEO of IFK Göteborg, says:
"IFK Göteborg went through tremendous strategic work in autumn 2018. After that, we agreed to take a further step in enhancing the growth of our players. This collaboration is a fundamental part of our sports strategy, and we are very happy to use the Ekkono Method to improve our club"
"Laranja Azul" is the official monthly magazine of Albirex Niigata. Thanks to it the followers of this Japanese Club are updated both about current issues related to the first team and about the other teams’ work within the academy.
Since Soccer Services Barcelona started its project with Albirex Niigata, the magazine "Laranja Azul" reports every month on the work carried out by the methodology department in the academy, which is none other than to homogenize an identity.
On this occasion, the article refers to the Talkmade sessions (theoretical and practical) conducted by the methodology department together with all the trainers of the academy. Moreover, the perception area through which perceptive trainings are carried out with all the teams in the academy is also discussed.
On the other hand, Shuya Honda, a player in the U18 team, tells in an interview how after attending the Ekkono Field.Rec video analysis sessions, he has learned to better understand the game and how to shake off.
Creating intelligent players is becoming a trend in modern football. However, its important to question, what is behind this expression? What makes an intelligent player? How should a Club or Federation organize themselves to create such profiles of players? What should I train if I want to become an intelligent player?
All of these questions and many more are coming from club owners, parents, coaches, and players from all over the world. But there is no single answer for any of them. Most importantly, what is useful and important in one country, may not have the same significance in another country.
In this book you will find the history of the EKKONO METHOD, a successful football model used by a wide range of clubs and federations world wide who share a common objective: become a reference in developing youth players.
GIVE US YOUR CONTACT INFO,
AND OUR TEAM WILL REACH YOU AS SOON AS POSIBLE
After more than 15 years developing projects all over the world, we know that adapting to the reality and needs of our clients is essential if we want to achieve successful projects. Our work philosophy is not based on imposing a certain work methodology. The workflow of any of our projects is as follows:
1. We define a personalized plan
We listen to you, analyze your reality and from here on we set up a project tailored to your needs. We will use all our experience and knowledge to present you with a proposal that will surely be satisfactory.
2. We assign a team
Within our organization there will be a team specially focused on developing your project. Such team will be made up of Ekkono licensed coaches, some located in Barcelona and others in your organization. Together, they will use the Ekkono Identity method to team up with your technical staff, providing them with support and resources in order to achieve the agreed results.
3. We do a follow-up
In addition to the daily work, we also produce regular reports to keep the management team updated about the project development. These reports include a mid-season chronogram and a comprehensive report based on key performance indicators to ensure that the organization is evolving adequately.
4. We adjust according to feedback
After submission of the reports, all feedback received from the board is channeled and the implementation plan is adjusted. In this way, the board will have guaranteed control of everything that happens in the organization and will be able to focus its efforts on the most appropriate areas.
5. We get tangible results
We guarantee that your identity will be enhanced in just one season. But most importantly, from the third season onwards, not only will you recover your investment, but you will have become a specialist in the generation and sale of professional players.
GENERATE IDENTITY
Boost the sense of belonging among your players, staff and fans thanks to a shared way of understanding football, playing style, values and philosophy among other aspects.
SAVE BUDGET
By ensuring your academy players reach the Pro Team, your organization is going to save budget in the market-transfer windows.
INCREASE REVENUE
Most organizations are going to be looking for your players, therefore, your chance of selling and generating revenue will be much higher.
FAN ENGAGEMENT
Your fans feel more attached to youth promoted players. It makes them come to your stadium in large numbers and increases club ecosystem consumption.
ATTRACT TALENT
When other young players find out about your successful model, they will all want to join your youth teams.
BE RECOGNIZED
By proving the success of your model, your organization is going to feel proud of its your sector and will become a world reference within the football industry.
Soccer Services Barcelona (SSB) is a consulting firm that has partnered with Federations and Professional Football Clubs for more than 15 years. The Company’s Ekkono licensed coaches have worked at Top Clubs such as FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and offered their services to the National Federations of Japan, China and Thailand. These entities may differ significantly from one to another, but there is an unwavering common goal: selecting and developing talented players. By doing this, the best economic and team results are achieved.
SSB is the only firm with the Ekkono Identity method, a set of processes for reaching this goal. Unlike other alternatives that only focus on improving certain technical skills or game tactics, SSB proposes creating a Methodology Department. It does this with the aim of promoting, among other things, a coordinated plan of all the training content, a shared educational philosophy across all the teams, a unified game model, and a focus on certain values to create bonds between everyone in the organization.
The Methodology Department is the “invisible” element of overall success, which is fine, because fans love the game, the players, the great teams, the best plays and the most impressive goals.
Fans should be allowed to continue enjoying the “tip of the iceberg”. Not only that, we must work hard so they can be excited about their Team’s achievements, so they feel involved in a certain playing style, and to the degree possible, so future generations can experience a certain culture through the Club’s values. When this last aspect—which refers to building an identity—is developed systematically, success is guaranteed. Teams share their values with fans in a number of ways. For example, Liverpool FC conveys the value of respect by respecting its former players, FC Barcelona and Amsterdam’s Ajax share the value of commitment through their commitment to a specific playing style, Germany’s National Team conveys the value of discipline, and Uruguay’s National Team shares the idea of competitiveness.
The clearer the identity of a Football Federation or Club, the higher its likelihood of success. It is easier to channel an organization’s efforts in a single direction. This clarifies the criteria for selecting talent, the type of training activities that should be planned, the teaching style to be used, the playing system to be established and the lifestyle we should foster at our training centers, etc. The way to create, accelerate and/or optimize that identity is through a Methodology Department.
On the occasion of Soccerex Europe, held on 5 and 6 September in Oeiras (Portgual), David Hernández, Co-Author of the Ekkono method, gave an interview to the prestigious Portuguese newspaper Record.
The text explains that Ekkono Identity has been especially designed to help any club wanting to create or strengthen an identity to do so.
How is this fantastic idea turned into a reality? Ekkono is very clear about this, through four basic pillars that any professional club can use as a guide to achieve results in the short-term.
On the occasion of Soccerex US, held in Miami (Florida), David Hernández gave an interview to Soccerex.com. The interview addressed two fundamental issues: his experience as Director of Methodology at Paris Saint-Germain, and the main characteristics of Ekkono Identity, the new version of the method developed together with Carles Romagosa.
In relation to the time he spent implementing the Ekkono method in Paris, Hernández not only highlighted the victories achieved by the academy sides at PSG, but also, especially, the fact that 85% of the players who followed the Individual Player Performance Plan ended up making their first team debut.
With regard to the Ekkono Identity method, he highlighted that the aim of the method is to provide, via its implementation at each club that requests it, a model that defines aspects such as the style of play and training methods, but also, for example, the values to promote on a priority basis. The objective is to seek an overall and unique identity for each club.
After six consecutive years of dominance from Olympique Lyonnais, PSG has been selected by the French Football Federation as the best professional club for work on player training and promotion. And, indeed, this is the main objective of its Methodology Department, which has worked for 3 years using the Ekkono Identity method.
This prize is awarded taking into consideration aspects such as:
This prestigious award is the result of months of work. Also, it is a clear indication that when the club works to build an identity, it obtains results sooner than expected.
IFK Göteborg and Soccer Services Barcelona (SSB) reach agreement to use the Ekkono Identity method at the Swedish club. During the 3 years of the project, the main objective will be to create a club identity that will make it possible to produce professional players, and improve the competition results of the 1st team.
In a statement, Mr Max Markusson, Club Director, said the following:
“Last autumn, the club carried out important work to define its strategy for the coming years. It is very important for us to attain this collaboration […] which will offer great potential for our players to develop.
This collaboration is one of the most important pillars of our sporting strategy. We are very happy that SSB wants to join forces with IFK Göteborg”.
Albirex Niigata and Soccer Services Barcelona reach agreement to use the Ekkono Identity method. The Japanese Club has announced the creation of a Methodology Department that will be responsible for leading the definition and implementation of a footballing identity.
The main focuses of the project will be:
Another step forward in Japan, a country that has seen the Ekkono method grow for more than 10 years.
After just two seasons using the Ekkono Identity method, GIF Sundsvall has become a club of renowned prestige. Despite being the club with the smallest budget in Sweden´s first division, GIF Sundsvall has developed a very powerful identity, based on a sophisticated playing style.
In addition to the special support provided to the first team, the collaboration also encompassed the entire academy, using the four basic pillars of the Ekkono Identity method to strengthen the club´s identity.
Joel Cedergren, the first team manager, has publicly acknowledged that “the Ekkono method has helped him and provided him with the tools to achieve his full potential as a manager”
During the pre-season, PSG beat all of its records in terms of the use of young academy players in first team matches. In its first two matches, 80% of the players who got match time came from the Parisian team´s Training Centre.
The number of academy players used in the first team has doubled over the last three seasons, since the Ekkono Identity method was first used in 2015 to develop identity at PSG. Its all-time record was achieved in a Ligue 1 match against Caen, in which seven young players from the academy sides participated, with five in the starting line-up.
With these figures, PSG is the leading team in Europe in relation to the promotion of young talent. The gratifying job of defining and implementing an identity throughout the entire Club is now bearing its first fruit.
JAPAN
FRANCE
SWEEDEN
CHILE
INDONESIA
SPAIN
FINLAND
FINLAND
ISRAEL
USA
CHINA
MEXICO
CHILE
USA
SWEDEN
SCOTLAND
SWEDEN
POLAND