The individual development of young talents at the FC Bayern Campus follows a clear structure and is designed for sustainable progress. Since December 2020, the skills.lab Arena has played a central role in this. It combines individual training with the collection of extensive and precise data to better understand each player’s potential and to work specifically on making the most of it.
 

The campus, opened in 2017, provides the right environment for this. Eight football pitches, a stadium with 2,500 seats, and modern training facilities create optimal conditions for the men’s teams from U11 to U23, as well as for the women’s and girls’ teams.

Training focuses for targeted development
In the skills.lab Arena, players at the campus train on individually tailored focuses such as finishing, decision-making, or spatial awareness. Which aspects are prioritized is decided jointly by the team coach, the player, and the skills.lab coaches Oskar Kretzinger and Maximilian Luckner.

Training is carried out according to the defined focus area in individual cycles of six to eight weeks. The combination of targeted training, precise data analysis, and regular repetition makes measurable progress possible in a short time.

“Ten years ago, we couldn’t objectively assess a player’s technical and cognitive abilities,” says Oskar Kretzinger, Leading Expert in the skills.lab Arena at the FC Bayern Campus. “Today, with the help of data, we can see exactly where a player stands and further develop them through targeted sessions.”

For players like Josip Stanišić, who joined FC Bayern’s youth academy in 2017 and made the step up to the first team in 2021, the Arena was a key part of his development. “The training there motivates you enormously to constantly improve. As a player, you are continuously challenged and can also push each other to get better.”

In addition to training cycles, all players at the campus go through an assessment in the skills.lab Arena twice a year. These assessments do more than provide a simple data snapshot. They also allow the development of a talent to be tracked over time and comparisons to be made with other players in a team. The results help the coaching teams to set future training focuses or determine when a player is ready for the next step.

The potential of Aleksandar Pavlović
Aleksandar Pavlović is a good example of how targeted training and data-based performance tests can positively influence development. Despite physical disadvantages at a young age, FC Bayern recognized the potential of the current national team player early on. “From U15 to U17 I was always the smallest,” Pavlović recalls. “That forced me to find footballing solutions early.”

Jochen Sauer, Director of Youth Development and the Campus at FC Bayern, adds: “Aleks had deficits in his physical development at a young age, but his football intelligence, two-footedness, and basic technique were always evident. The combination of this knowledge and the efficient training opportunities makes the skills.lab Arena incredibly valuable to us.”

Visible development on the pitch
Individual training in the skills.lab Arena is a fixed part of the weekly plans of all teams at the FC Bayern Campus. Working on clearly defined focuses ensures that players make noticeable progress – whether through faster decision-making, improved spatial awareness, or more precise technique.

The aim of this individualization is to improve player performance in 11-vs-11 situations. The exercises in the Arena are designed to transfer training progress directly to the pitch. Whether more precise decision-making, better positioning, or improved technique – each player’s development should not only be measurable but also tangible. At FC Bayern, this combination of technology and training represents a clear commitment to further developing players and supporting them in the best possible way on their next step.