What Coucke learned from Salzburg and Basel

OTHER At the beginning of this month we already discussed the working methods of RB Salzburg and FC Basel. It is clear that Marc Coucke has also studied these clubs, because their success ingredients are also increasingly reflected in the words and actions of the new chairman of purple and white.


Strong youth academy (Basel)

Of course, the strong purple-white youth academy is nothing new. Basel earned fifty million from Embolo, Shaquiri, Sommer and Xhaka, Anderlecht earned the same from Tielemans, Lukaku and Praet.

At the beginning of this month it became clear that Marc Coucke will continue to focus on youth work. Eleven talents from the U17 signed their first professional contract. Also Doku, who Liverpool thought they already had him.

Coucke introduced them to a heavily hyped press conference. Videos of the young people themselves and Romelu Lukaku. And youth work remains important for Anderlecht

Fast flow from YL (Salzburg)

The Youth League was often mentioned at the same press conference. In the meantime, the U17 has taken the title and will play in the ' Youth Champions League next season.'

"They have to try to go on the winter training camp within eighteen months", it was said. Salzburg won the Youth League last season, two players from that team now are weekly in the starting eleven of the first team, two others are playing regularly. So it can certainly go fast if Doku and co confirm.

Preparing youngsters via satelite club (Salzburg)

The Salzburg-youngsters who won the Youth League did not play the national league in a youth series, but for the Satelite club FC Liefering in the Austrian second division.

Anderlecht's Rerserves will start in the first amateur class from the 2019-2020 season. Admittedly it's the third level in Belgium and not the second, but still 'adult football', where Purple & White does not always have seventy percent of ball possession and is on the half of the opponent.

In addition, Anderlecht also seems to benefit from the good relationship with KV Oostende. Anderlecht will only attract Nkaka in July next year, because a Belgian club can lend a maximum of three players to another first division team

It looks like Anderlecht will be putting three youngsters at the sea. Youngster who are not ready yet for the first team.

Attracting young, foreign talent (Salzburg)

The global scouting network of Salzburg is simply impressive and may not be comparable in the first years. Coucke already indicated that Anderlecht's scouting device should function much more efficiently.

With Abazaj (21) and Adzic (19), Devroe already brought in two youngsters who are regarded as top talent in their own country. Coucke said earlier: "We are not going to buy a striker from PSG, but a striker that PSG will want to buy later." Training young top talent and reselling at a profit, in other words.

Players returning after period abroad (Basel) and limited number of routine (Salzburg)

Basel is doing everything it can to get back their players who went higher, in the final days of their career. Salzburg had only three players older than 26 in the ranks this season, but they were extremely experienced.

This is the only point that we will not see back at Anderlecht for the time being. But it might happen.

Anderlecht products like Romelu Lukaku and Vincent Kompany have never made it a secret that they want to return to Anderlecht someday. How beautiful would it be to have a young team lead by a personal product that has reached the absolute top?