Real Madrid Graduate School Visits Feyenoord Academy

David Viejo Romero, Director of the Master in Football Direction at the Real Madrid Graduate School – Universidad Europea, reflected on the visit: “Once again it has been a wonderful pleasure to visit Feyenoord and a true privilege for our students. Every year we are amazed with the club's progress, the facilities and the environment, but this time we have found it even more special. The work being done here keeps improving, gaining in depth and detail, and taking the academy to superior levels. We have no doubt that Feyenoord is among the best youth academies in the world, and will only keep getting better. Still more importantly, we were delighted and overwhelmed with how warm and friendly everyone was, feeling welcome like a part of the family at all times, and for us the personal side is even more important than the professional one. For all of this, we are extremely grateful to everyone at Feyenoord and we look forward to coming back soon.”

Throughout the program, the group gained insight into the vision of the Feyenoord Academy, its approach to player development, and the methodology that underpins the daily work within all age groups. Topics such as long-term development, alignment of the playing style, and the role of structured training preparation were discussed during the presentations. By observing the U16 and U17 training sessions, the group was able to see how the discussed strategies and principles are implemented in practice on the pitch.

Beyond the program itself, the visit offered valuable learning moments. A key takeaway for the students was the strong focus on individual player development and the importance of seeing players as human beings first. The clear long-term vision, the alignment of the playing style throughout the Academy, and the structured methodology made a strong impression. In addition, students highlighted the detailed preparation of training sessions, the structure of the micro cycle, and the organization and intensity of exercises as important learning points. The role and function of Top Sport within the Academy environment, as well as the holistic way of looking at players, were also mentioned as valuable insights for their own future practice.

As the group members are all studying subjects closely related to football development and performance, the visit provided meaningful real-life context to their academic learning. At the same time, their thoughtful questions and fresh perspectives created open discussions from which Feyenoord Academy staff could also learn.

The visit proved to be a valuable learning experience on both sides and a great example of international knowledge exchange within youth development.