FAI retains global experts Double Pass to audit Academy proposal

Following a procurement call in April, a number of entities were assessed, with the contract awarded to the Belgian outfit.

Fri, 09 May, 2025 - 14:37

John Fallon

The FAI have selected renowned Belgian consultants Double Pass as the firm to conduct the state-funded audit of club academies for expected government support.

Since Brexit restrictions in 2021 banned footballers moving to UK clubs until their 18th birthday, the FAI have been pleading for exchequer funding to develop an industry to produce the next generation of players.

That exercise has led to a request for around €8million per year from the public purse over the next 11 years to defray the costs associated with employing full-time players and coaches as well as acquire facilities.

Government ministers and their officials are apprehensive about providing tax-payers’ money for what are effectively private enterprises but granted a €1m pot to kickstart the evaluation process.

This money formed part of the second Memorandum of Understanding brokered with the state, pledging funds in return for governance reforms such as independent oversight at board level.

That allocation was ringfenced for two areas so far, an assistant resource to Academy manager Will Clarke, the successful candidate due to be announced next week, and the appointment of an auditor.

The purpose of this company is to evaluate the financial needs of each club academy for male and female players around the country.

Following a procurement call in April, a number of entities were assessed, with the contract awarded to Double Pass.

Based in Zaventem, they were formed in 2004 by a group of analysts from Brussels, spawning into a multi-national outfit generating annual revenues of €5m.

Germany’s football crisis arising from the disastrous 2000 European Championships performance proved to be their opportunity, for they were tasked by the German federation (DFB) to assess club academies in the 2005-2006 season, running on three year cycles.

Armind Kraaz, academy director at Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt, described the typical visit to vice.com:

“They come for two days in the week, for doing interviews, and two days in the weekend, to (observe), ‘What do we tell our teams during the game?’ They are inside the locker room at halftime and before the game. They stay on the side of the field to look at how the coaches act. ‘Are they doing the things we want them to do as a club? Are [the coaches] doing our philosophy, our concept?’ and so on.”

Since then, FIFA enlisted them as a partner to roll out a new ‘Talent Development Progamme’ from 2020. They have worked with top European clubs all over Europe, including Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as further afield with the US soccer federation.

Double Pass will shortly begin their work in Ireland, visiting each club seeking state finances and producing a final report by August.

This is the critical document the Department of Sport and Sport Ireland will rely on when it comes to deciding if, and what, allocation is made towards Irish football in Budget 2026 to be unveiled in October.