Club's MCJ youth project recognised with prestigious award

This Tuesday, Sporting Clube de Portugal were named as winners at the European Club Association (ECA) Awards 2021 in the Football Training category. The club were recognised for their Player Centered Model (MCJ) project implemented over recent years.

The decision was announced following the 26th ECA general assembly, which is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. In the presentation video, shared on the ECA's social networks, Tomaz Morais, Sporting CP's Director of Youth Football, explained the characteristics of the project:

"The Player Centered Model is a holistic and scientific approach to our players and teams. We have many departments that do fantastic work in this regard. We want players to have a good education, character, values, discipline and commitment. That is very important to us. For Sporting CP, attitude is the most important quality of a player," he emphasised, before noting that youth products played a very important role in the 2020/2021 Liga Portugal win.

"Eleven homegrown players won the title with the first team. I have no words to describe that, and it was a dream come true for us. It was very important for all of us at the Academy. It was a very special moment and proved the value of MCJ."

Tiago Tomás, one of several such players, told ECA about his experience: “The best advice I can give is to follow what I myself did. I always believed in myself and my talent, as well as the feedback given to me."

Sporting CP's MCJ aims to develop players through the introduction of a multidisciplinary approach, integrating areas such as technique, tactics, science and technology, among others, to make them complete athletes.

The ultimate goal is to identify players with the Sporting CP profile, creating individual development plans that include the various integrated aspects and also the creation of a pedagogical and educational program that encourages a combination of sporting evolution with academic progress.

In addition to Sporting CP, winning clubs at the ECA Awards for 2021 were Club Brugge (Women's Football), Malmö FF (Social Impact), PSV (Corporate Partnership) and Bayern Munich (Chairman's Award).