Between 2010 and 2016, we worked alongside Johan Cruyff to fundamentally reform Ajax and rebuild its famed but ailing academy. Plan Cruyff was a strategy focused on long-term value creation. It sparked a seismic shift for the club and positively changed Dutch football. In 2017, Ajax reached the Europa League final with the youngest team ever. Two years later, an impressive Champions League stint ended in the semifinals. Ajax's equity more than quadrupled and homegrown talent accounted for an explosion in transfer revenues. A source of multiple innovations, Plan Cruyff set a benchmark in club reform and inspired many.
In 2000, Belgium introduced a national youth football plan inspired by and partly modelled after Johan Cruyff's vision. One of its visionary leaders was Bob Browaeys, one of our experts who has managed and implemented the national reforms ever since. Ten years later, the country began to reap the fruits with a surge in world-class talent that ultimately transpired into the Nr 1 position on the FIFA ranking. An icon of national football reform, the Belgian story showcases how fundamental changes in talent identification, development philosophies and match formats can transform a nation's football fortunes.
From 2019 to 2023, we transformed FC Volendam from a small Dutch village club into a successful international talent hub producing world-class talent. After fundamental reforms in all departments, the club rose from 16th position in the second league to 14th in Eredivisie whilst boasting the lowest average age in both divisions. Operational revenue tripled, both club league transfer records were shattered and international elite clubs lined up to partner in talent development. Deemed impossible by many at the start, this project demonstrates that club size is irrelevant if the formula is right.
After the surprise 2004 European Championship victory, Greece's football has been stagnant or in decline for over a decade, severely dropping in the FIFA ranking. We collaborated with the federation and Super League clubs to design a new national youth plan: Project Rebirth. The plan reforms the national football ecosystem from grassroots to elite level. It introduces a clear Greek national football identity, new match formats and a methodology focused on identifying and nurturing high potentials. Boosted by a Nations League promotion with Europe's youngest squad, the future for Greek football is finally looking brighter.