Schalke exit: Van der Sloot fights for the ascent with Ado!

Schalke exit: Van der Sloot fights for the ascent with Ado!

Den Haag, Niederlande - Young players are currently increasingly looking to say goodbye to their clubs when there is no perspective, which is currently being illustrated using the example of Steven van der Sloot. Van der Sloot returned to the Netherlands at FC Schalke 04 after a year and reinforced Ado Den Haag, where he was already active in youth. Last season he showed a strong performance and contributed to the fact that Ado Den Haag took fourth place in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie. Unfortunately, only the first two teams were able to climb into the 1st league, which restricted the club's promotion opportunities. Ado den Haag competed against five other clubs in the playoffs to reach the long -awaited promotion.

In the quarter-final first leg, Ado den Hage had beaten Telstar 0: 2. In the second leg, it did not look promising at first when Telstar led 1-0 in the second half, which significantly reduced Ado den Haag's promotion prospects. The game was finally canceled in the 86th minute due to misconduct by fans. Van der Sloot, who was sitting on the bench in this game, could only observe the incidents. The association has tried three times in the playoffs to climb into the eredivisia three times in the past four years, but had to deal three times with sporting failures and fan problems. For the coming season, Van der Sloot and Ado den Hag to navigate again across the challenges of promotion.

challenges in German young football

While Van der Sloot faces the challenges of Dutch football, a critical need for reforms is evident in German junior football. The German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League (DFL) are currently working on a comprehensive reform to improve the transition to promising talents to the professional sector. Hannes Wolf, new director of young people, training and development at the DFB, emphasized that Germany in the U21 area was in international comparison behind countries such as England and France. A study by the DFB and the DFL, which examined the career courses of 7,519 players in Europe, shows that Germany has lost connection to the European top in promoting young talent.

Germany has no club in the top ten of the training. Compared to other countries, fewer professional footballers are trained in this country, and the trend is even declining. The transition area from A-youth to the professionals, which is considered a decisive success factor in promoting young talent, is particularly critical. While 39 % of professionals in Germany debut in the Bundesliga, it is only 8 % in countries such as Portugal and Spain. The study also shows that players who regularly receive game practice in lower leagues contribute positively to their development.

The role of second representatives

In Germany, many clubs have abolished their second representatives, which is considered a mistake. These could better introduce talents to the professional sector. A comparison with Spain shows that second teams can compete in the second division, which benefits the training. The mindset in Germany to immediately bring players to the Bundesliga often inhibits individual development. A good training does not only depend on financial resources; Even smaller clubs in Europe are successful in training. For these reasons, it remains to be seen how the young system will develop in Germany in the coming years.

Overall, the situation of Steven van der Sloot and the challenges in German young football highlights both the challenges in individual career paths and the structural problems that endanger the growth of young talents.