As another young prodigy emerges from Independiente del Valle in Ecuador, Adam Bate speaks to one of the club’s coaches to find out why this once small outfit on the outskirts of Quito has begun to produce some of the best talent in the world…
Wednesday 4 September 2024 15:22, UK
Earlier this summer, Borussia Dortmund agreed a deal to sign Ecuadorian teenager Justin Lerma. It comes with a twist. He will not join the German club until he turns 18 – and that is almost two years away. Welcome to the Independiente del Valle pipeline.
Perhaps you will recall that Kendry Paez, still only 17, is set to arrive at Chelsea next summer. That transfer was arranged well over a year ago now. Both Dortmund and Chelsea are convinced they have acquired a superstar of football's next generation.
Confidence comes from the swift success of Moises Caicedo upon joining Brighton from Independiente in 2021. Another graduate, Piero Hincapie, is now a Bundesliga winner with Bayer Leverkusen. Willian Pacho has just joined Paris Saint-Germain.
"It is not normal that some of the top players in the world came from this academy," Javier Rabanal tells Sky Sports. Or at least that is what the Spanish coach of Independiente's second team thought until he arrived and saw the secrets behind it.
"If you come from Europe thinking that you know all there is to know about football and everything you can do here is fantastic or amazing, you are completely wrong. It is not easy to add something that makes this club better anymore. The level here is so high."
Something special is happening at this once tiny club.
Not so long ago, Independiente, based in Salgolqui, a small town on the outskirts of Quito, were not even big news in Ecuador. But entrepreneur Michel Deller had a vision for how a then third-tier outfit with few fans could find an edge on their illustrious rivals.
Money was pumped into player recruitment, the emphasis put on youth development rather than short-term results on the pitch. Even so, there could be no guarantee of striking gold, no certainty that the raw materials were there just waiting to be found.
But players were found and made. By 2016, Independiente had reached the final of the Copa Libertadores, beating River Plate and Boca Juniors along the way, and have since twice won the Copa Sudamericana, South America's second-most prestigious trophy.
Success at senior level is underpinned by the best young players on the continent. Remarkably, there is no more successful side in the U20 version of the Copa Libertadores, Independiente having reach the final in four of the last five tournaments.
"The scouting is amazing," says Rabanal. "These players are really talented. They have everything that is needed technically and tactically." Many are also famed for their standout physical attributes. "Because we scout really, really fast and strong players."
Deller studied some of the best academies in the world when constructing his vision for Independiente. The Aspire Academy in Qatar, a long-time ideas hub for Iberian coaches, proved particularly useful in terms of developing the coaching methodologies.
"Through this connection," explains Rabanal, "the level of coaching is above anything else in Ecuador and even South America now. It is the best academy in the Americas and the quality of youth coaching when I arrived was amazing. They are so prepared."
It is a learning environment. "They ask questions, how to do this, how to do that, but the starting level was really high. At the same level of clubs that I knew in Europe and better than many." High praise given Rabanal was Ruud van Nistelrooy's assistant at PSV.
There is a rare focus on educating the 150 boys and girls studying within the academy. "We also have our own school inside the facility and the programme for them is different to the one in the rest of the country." It is an opportunity for these children.
"We make sure that they have something for their future, something inside their brains more than just football." This is education for its own sake but it also brings with it an advantage because it provides youngster with the skills to help them thrive abroad.
"They have to speak English. It is not enough to be talented. We want them to adapt to the reality in Europe." Rabanal is forever reminding his players of what is required if they are to succeed. "I try to be honest with them, explaining the work ethic that is needed."
It is about much more than the language. "They are taught how to use technology, deal with money, modern skills that you need. It is about developing the human being as well as the player. They are having to make the step at just 15, 16 or 17. Talent is not enough."
The prodigies tend to bypass Rabanal's second team. "My group is for the ones who will make their explosion later." But Independiente has a plan for them too. Numancia in Spain and Pacos de Ferreira in Portugal are now part of the Independiente group.
Emerson Pata joined the Portuguese side this summer, the second of Rabanal's squad to make the move, along with two who have gone to Numancia and another to sister club Atletico Huila in Colombia. "It is another way for them to develop their careers."
It has become a virtuous cycle. The solidarity payment received when Caicedo joined Chelsea exceeded £16m. Pacho's move to PSG brought yet another windfall. "You can clearly see that the money is being invested back in the club," says Rabanal.
"Since January, we have added one extra pitch, one extra stadium, one new building for the office, for the board members, for the marketing department, a residential building for the players. It was already an amazing facility before so the investment is huge."
When it comes to the style of play, Independiente make the sort of noises one might expect of a club operating at the elite level. "We just had a meeting this morning to reaffirm the game model and the main idea is to be dominant," reveals Rabanal.
"We want possession with purpose. High intensity. Keep the ball and then win it back as quickly as possible, while allowing a certain margin for the creativity of the players, especially wingers. We want them to be dynamic, play one-on-one, show their skills."
The results are clear. Independiente, where talent meets hard work and opportunity, are thriving and Rabanal has no regrets about his own decision to leave Europe. "Most people could not understand when I chose to come here," he says. But soon they will.
"I tell you now, you will see more and more Ecuadorian players from Independiente del Valle in the biggest clubs in Europe. A lot of scouts are here from Arsenal, from Dortmund, from everywhere. They all want to come." And they have one thing in mind.
"They all want to find out who is next."
