The ROYI Model
The ‘Return on Youth Investment Model’ or ‘ROYI Model’ is both a strategic and practical tool to evaluate your football club's business & sporting structure.
Contrary to classic business models, the ROYI framework takes into account the value of a Talent Management Program ánd the interconnectedness of all the elements needed to successfully run a club.
The model offers a clear blueprint of your club. It also forms the basis for our extensive club analysis service, revealing the action plan needed to reach the level of financial stability and competitive excellence your club aims for.
It is specifically designed for elite football clubs.
With the support of many Academy leaders from different confederations, I have identified and structured all aspects of a club competing at the elite level nationally and internationally. This has resulted in a clear, football-specific blueprint organized around five main pillars, each covering twenty key areas and relevant KPI’s.
Pillar 1: Environment.
Pillar 2: Corporate Strategy.
Pillar 3: Organizational Design.
Pillar 4: Business Operations.
Pillar 5: Sportive Management.
It is applicable worldwide.
The model is co-created with club and academy leaders from more than 360 clubs and leagues across five confederations.
It thus provides a standard representation of the business structure of a professional football club, which is applicable by elite clubs worldwide; from Europe to South-America and from Asia to Africa.
Henk Mariman, Director of Football RSC Anderlecht
“I worked closely with David on consulting projects for Flamengo, Galatasaray and others, who he helped maximize the ROI of their academies through strategic analysis and benchmarking. His insights on elite club & academy management have been invaluable, and are still guiding my work today at Anderlecht's academy.”
It is research-backed.
The ROYI Model is developed by dr. David Pauwels, leveraging 20 years of research and international experience as a consultant for elite football clubs.
Publications:
FIFA (2021). Report: Increasing global competitiveness, an analysis of the talent development ecosystem, p.139.
Pauwels, D. (2016). Talent Development Framework: European Standards for Talent Development Systems of Professional Football Clubs. Vrije Universiteit Brussel: PhD Dissertation.
Outcomes of implementing the model at your club:
The implementation of the model enhances the long-term sportive performance of the First Team position and increasing the market value of the players due to this sustainable approach.
It will positively impact the Return on Investment for a club, and including the raise in financial means and profitability.
Ready to apply this model on your club?
Discover our unique Premium Club Analysis service for elite clubs.
By using the ROYI Model to analyse your club, we will provide you with a tailored, concrete road map to improve your club’s sportive and financial performance.
Ross Wilson, Chief Football Officer & Sporting Director Nottingham Forest FC
“I’ve enjoyed all my interactions with David tremendously. I had been aware of his excellent work for some time, and his support and contributions have been invaluable in the projects I’ve worked on—especially in developing elite environments and understanding development trends across the top European clubs."
