Club DNA: The Foundation of Sustainable Success
The most successful clubs in modern football share something deeper than results: clarity of identity.
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A clearly defined playing DNA.
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A shared leadership philosophy.
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A culture that runs consistently from
academy to first team.
My work in football, focuses on helping clubs build and sustain exactly that.
Combining my experience in elite sport, together with over a decade of experience in the private sector, I work with clubs to design football structures that allow talent, coaches and leaders to perform at their best.
The aim is long-term sporting success built on identity, alignment and culture — not short-term reactions.
Technical Director at SC Verl
As Technical Director at German third division club SC Verl, I am lucky enough part of the leadership group responsible for shaping one of the most remarkable stories in modern German professional football.
Through clear identity, smart recruitment and strong cultural alignment, the club has established itself far beyond the expectations typically associated with its size and resources.
The project demonstrated what can be achieved when:
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Football identity is clear
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Leadership is aligned
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Recruitment fits the playing philosophy
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Culture supports development and accountability
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AI purposefully implemented
SC Verl remains a powerful example of how strategic clarity can allow clubs to punch far above their weight.
UEFA A-Licence Holder
Work Experience
June 2025 - Present
July 2023 - June 2025
December 2020 - June 2023
Technical Director, SC Verl
Oversee the club’s football identity and long-term sporting strategy, aligning recruitment, academy development, and first-team philosophy. Focus on establishing a clear playing DNA that allows the club to compete far beyond its structural and financial scale.
Head of Performance, SC Verl
Designed and implemented the club’s player pathway model, grounded in sports science and evidence-based performance principles, creating a clear progression from academy to senior football.
Assistant Coach, SC Verl U21
Member of the coaching staff that guided the team from Division 7 to Division 5 in three years, while helping develop several players who have since moved on to higher levels of the game.
In this episode of BRACE, I had a blast discussing the remarkable rise of SC Verl and how one of German professional football’s smallest clubs is using smart recruitment, data, youth development and a clear footballing identity to compete with clubs operating on significantly larger budgets.
Drawing on his role as Technical Director at SC Verl, I gave some insights into the club’s approach...
I was honoured to join the Football Talk panel at the Arena auf Ewald during the 2026 World Cup, alongside Dietmar Hirsch and Niklas Müller, with Cedric Pick hosting.
We analysed the World Cup teams and emerging tactical and performance trends, before bringing the conversation closer to home – discussing our clubs, the challenges of professional football and the upcoming season.
A great evening of football discussion in a fantastic setting at the Zeche Ewald.
In this keynote, I present SC Verl’s “Player First” youth development concept and challenge some of the traditional thinking around talent development in football.
I explore why we need to look beyond short-term results, give young players time to develop and create meaningful pathways into senior football. Because we can't predict at 14, 16 or even 18 who will ultimately make it.
Our job is to create the environment and opportunities that allow players to fulfil their potential.
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