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LinkedIn of football Fieldoo is the networking tool young Prem stars are using to get opportunities

More than 3,000 deals have been done thanks to the website which is based in Slovenia

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A NETWORKING site dubbed the ‘LinkedIn of football’ is developing a new service which aims to find foreign clubs for young English players struggling to break through at Premier League academies.

, first set up in 2012, connects footballers with clubs and agents, and today has users in 165 countries.

Fieldoo is the LinkedIn of football and it led to
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Fieldoo is the LinkedIn of football and it led to Jordi Pascual joining Girona in 2014Credit: Fieldoo

Klemen Hosta, founder and CEO of the site, which is based in Slovenia, told SunSport that more than 3,000 transfers have occurred as a result of a contact made on Fieldoo.

These include Argentine striker Jordi Pascual, who in 2014 signed for Spanish club Girona, aged just 19, and now plays in Italy.

Pascual, who had played at youth level for Boca Juniors, was given a second chance after signing up to Fieldoo and taking part in the ‘Minguella Challenge’ – a competition to find young talent organised by Fieldoo with legendary football agent Josep Maria Minguella.

It was Minguella who took Lionel Messi to Barcelona after discovering him from watching a video. He has also represented Maradona, Romario, Rivaldo and Pep Guardiola.

 Networking site Fieldoo connects young footballers with clubs
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Networking site Fieldoo connects young footballers with clubsCredit: Jonathan Dyson
 Pascual, 19, was given a second chance after signing up to Fieldoo
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Pascual, 19, was given a second chance after signing up to FieldooCredit: Fieldoo

Fieldoo has been growing rapidly, with more than 310,000 players now registered on the site, an increase of 30 per cent over the past year, according to Hosta.

He said: "We are aiming to have 1 million players on there within the next 18 months."

Each player on Fieldoo has an individual profile with their career CV, statistics plus video clips of them in action.

Around 150 clubs use the site, including two who have played in the Uefa Champions League, all the way down to teams in Germany’s eighth tier.

 The former Boca Juniors academy player won the Minguella Challenge
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The former Boca Juniors academy player won the Minguella ChallengeCredit: Fieldoo

The clubs – who cannot be named due to non-disclosure agreements – use Fieldoo to find new players that match their criteria. Clubs can also advertise for vacant positions in their squads.

Once a player is contacted by a club they can invite him for a trial. Fieldoo also sets up its own regular trial events – such as the Minguella Challenge – for players and agents using the site.

“This is one way that helps us protect young players from frauds and scams,” says Hosta.

Everyone using the site has to pass a strict verification process where ID and other documents are checked.

 CEO and founder of Fieldoo Klemen Hosta
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CEO and founder of Fieldoo Klemen HostaCredit: Jonathan Dyson

Hosta revealed to SunSport that Fieldoo is now developing an online transfer system which it aims to launch in the first half of 2019.

“Generally, football is coming online, not just in terms of things like analytical tools,” says Hosta.

“It's also coming online in terms of facilitating the whole bureaucracy of the game.”

Fieldoo’s new system will use digital signatures, template contracts, simplified legal processes and online payments.

Hosta says that this will help clubs save time and money, while also complying with Fifa regulations and making transfers more transparent.

 More than 310,000 players have signed up to the website
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More than 310,000 players have signed up to the websiteCredit: Jonathan Dyson

The plans are ambitious and Fieldoo faces competition – not least from , a private networking site for sports professionals founded by Luis Figo. Players can be bought and sold through the site.

However, Hosta reveals that Fieldoo has had extensive positive feedback from a number of clubs around Europe who are keen to use its new service.

Fieldoo plans to launch the service in Germany initially, before rolling it out to the rest of Europe, and across the world.

The aim is for it to be used by clubs of all sizes, including the biggest English clubs.

And Hosta says it is designed to tap into the growing wealth of talent in the academies of clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

 Luis Figo has a similar company called Network90
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Luis Figo has a similar company called Network90Credit: Reuters

The potential of the service seems significant with more and more young English players looking to play abroad in search of first-team football.

For every Jadon Sancho, there are many others who don’t get picked up.

“Let’s say at Manchester City there are 100 players at their academy that will never get the chance to play in the first team there,” says Hosta.

“Of those 100, there are maybe 20 that, say, Dortmund, Schalke, Lyon or Monaco will grab.

“That leaves 80 players. Some will move to an English Championship or League One club, but what about the rest?

 Fieldoo's aim is to conquer Germany before moving on to the rest of Europe
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Fieldoo's aim is to conquer Germany before moving on to the rest of EuropeCredit: Jonathan Dyson

“You still have a pool of players that were basically educated at the Harvard of football. They can easily play around Europe or, say, the MLS.

“But the clubs don't know about them. They don't know that these guys are available, what they can do, and what the transfer fee might be.

“So what we're building into Fieldoo is a system that will provide information on these players, including their price and availability.”

 Players aim to do the same as Jadon Sancho by making it in Germany instead of waiting in Prem academies
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Players aim to do the same as Jadon Sancho by making it in Germany instead of waiting in Prem academiesCredit: AFP or licensors

Around 10,000 English players are currently registered on the site, according to Hosta, with that number set to grow.

The site is also popular in Spain – where it has 15,000 users – as well as other parts of Europe, and Africa.

“We are also growing in South America, as well as the USA and Asia,” says Hosta.

He was inspired to set Fieldoo up after getting countless requests from friends to upload videos of them playing on to YouTube, in order to help them get a contract with a new club.

 Fieldoo claim their website has already led to 3,000 transfers
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Fieldoo claim their website has already led to 3,000 transfersCredit: Jonathan Dyson

“It made me realise that the recruitment systems works for top clubs with the money to have scouts all over the globe,” he says.

“But what happens with a club that doesn’t have the budget for scouts? And what happens with a player that doesn't have connections?

“I saw a number of transfers going wrong because there were agents and all sorts of other characters interfering in the transfers, and the opportunity got lost.

“The idea with Fieldoo is to get a young prospect to a better team without an agent having too big an influence.”

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