The vital role of scouting at the VCF Academy

Many great players have come to the Valencia CF youth system as a result of an exhaustive level of research by the club, and one of the men who has spent the last 25 years undertaking such work is José Jiménez. The Scouting Coordinator arrived under Javier Subirats and has gone on to become a key figure in running the rule over young talents.

"I know some corners of the Ciudad Deportiva better than my own home," says Jiménez, talking to VCF Media at a celebration of 29 years of the training facility.

Jiménez has a list of the 101 players who have come up through the VCF Academy to debut for the Valencia CF first team, accompanied by the date of their arrival and their first appearance for the club.

“It makes me proud to think that players who have been trained at the VCF Academy have helped Valencia CF. The intention of a youth system is to get players into the first team. When I remember them, looking at the document, I feel very happy," he comments.

"The secret is to have a club that is respected around the world," Jiménez acknowledges.

“At Valencia CF, the reputation of the club has worked in our favour when it comes to bringing in players. It helps when it comes to signing young players."

“Right now there is a big commitment to the VCF Academy from the club. Since Meriton have arrived, I have noticed a very important change, to the benefit of the VCF Academy. I will always be grateful for how they have treated us and what has been done with the facilities, which have improved tremendously and taken our work up by a notable level."

Jiménez coordinates the scouting team, with data, reports and analysis produced each week -showing that it is not a job that he does alone.

“My work would be nothing if I did not have a professional group alongside me that have been together for many years, are loyal to the club and give everything for Valencia CF. Ricardo Ballester, Manolo, Toni Mora, Ureña, Iván, Nando Saz, Sabater, Chust, Miguel Pérez, Joaquín, José Ramón, Eduard… and many other people have contributed. It has given Valencia CF an important level of performance from young talent, and that is also because we have had the support of the leaders at this club."

Scouting work has been adapted since Jiménez' formative years at the VCF Academy, but his dedication to the task at hand has never wavered.

“You have to watch full games, because the most important thing about a player is how much he participates in the game for the benefit of the group. In videos, they summarise the player's best moments, but maybe he has only touched the ball three times and has not participated in the game, or isn't intense or mobile," explains the Scouting Coordinator.

Notes from each game are updated weekly to the database. The team will watch two home games and two away fixtures, when possible, to monitor specific players. Even with a short timeframe in which to work, the job done by the scouting department is vital to bringing in the very best young players.