Why this is worth 1 minute of your time:
How to treat talent development as an asset class
KPIs that predict academy ROI
Why US capital loves England
What actually drives a successful exit in lower‑league football
The Talent ROI Framework from Double Pass
This week I spoke with Koen Put, Senior Partner & MD at Double Pass, a global leader in football talent development and team value management.
📌 What Matters
Academies = financial engines.
ROI = number of academy players integrated into the first team + their market value + transfer revenue generated.
Build → Monitor → Monetize.
Their Talent Development Index + Team Value Index show exactly where a club is underperforming and what to fix.
What Forward Sports Group Revealed About EFL Investing
This week I also spoke with Raphael Gellar, Co‑Founder & CEO of Forward Sports Group, a leading advisor for investors buying clubs in the EFL.
📌 What Matters
EFL offers a clear value gap.
€15–20M buys a club and a 10–15k stadium.
US franchises with no games played cost €100M+.
The exit is all about timing.
Winning investors sell on:
promotion (League One → Championship → Premier League)
stabilized losses
strong coach + CEO
energized fans
improved stadium
This is why breaking even is considered a success.
The value jump between tiers makes timing > spreadsheets.
Next week: Motorsport agency founder + 2024 SailGP champion CEO.
Edoardo Grandi
