Oliver Zesiger

- Scout @fclugano

- Switzerland Co-HR @FootballManager

Views are my own.

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

Du bist interessiert, erste Einblicke ins Scouting zu gewinnen? Dann ist der Kurs der @GoaltradesAca genau das Richtige für dich!

Melde dich jetzt an und sei am 14. Januar online dabei.

[Goaltrades Academy @GoaltradesAca]

Nach dem grossen Erfolg des ersten Kurses bieten wir fussballverrückten Menschen am 14. Januar 2024 den nächsten Scouting-Grundkurs an. Dieser erfolgt online und richtet sich an Menschen aus der gesamten D-A-CH Region.

Hier geht es zur Anmeldung: https://t.co/QEbJ46MEAI

[VEE @veekkyproo]

They filmed Messi in slow motion to figure out why defenders couldn’t touch him... Look at the second clip he takes a step forward without placing his left foot down 🐐😳

[Szwajcarska Piłka @szwajcarska]

W 2021 roku Ruben Vargas zmarnował decydujący rzut karny w ćwierćfinale Euro z Hiszpanią.
Dzisiaj wykorzystał decydujący rzut karny i został bohaterem. 👏 #Switzerland

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

@nlllrss Dafür Überdosis Margarine

[MisterChip (English) @MisterChiping]

SUI 🇨🇭 2-0 🇩🇿 ALG (FT)

Switzerland win a World Cup knockout match for the first time since 1938. 88 years later.

The two longest winless runs in knockout rounds have both ended in the last 48 hours:

🔹 Mexico — 8 games (since 1986), ended June 30 vs Ecuador.
🔹 Switzerland — 7 games (since 1938), ended today vs Algeria.

[Zealand @theoldzealand]

Switzerland is just so good at being Switzerland it’s insane

[OptaFranz @OptaFranz]

2 & 1 – Breel Embolo ist nach Kylian Mbappe der zweite Spieler, der in allen vier Spielen seines Landes bei dieser WM an mind. einem Tor direkt beteiligt ist (2T 2A). Zudem ist er der erste Schweizer, der seit det. Datenerfassung 1966 in vier WM-Spielen in Folge an einem Tor beteiligt ist.

Lauf.

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

@swearimnotpaul @NotFifthGear Bendzema

[Squawka @Squawka]

As per @OptaJoe, Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first game in World Cup history to see five goals scored, with all of them coming after the 70th minute. 🍿

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

Bravo, bravo, bravo, Kapverden. 👏

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

@matsloser @salizaemme @kilian_weber

[Chris Wheatley @ChrisWheatley]

Granit Xhaka to Mikel Arteta: "To everyone who doubted you, give this man and this coach the respect he deserves."

[Target Scouting @TargetScouting_]

Scouting is not just saying that Player X is a talented player, it is about:

- accurately predicting at which level a player can play
- understanding how the market (regulations, transfer values, wages, club culture) works

If you are an aspiring scout looking to recommend a player to a particular club, it is crucial to consider scalability/transferability.

The basic question I always ask myself is: “How would this player perform at *this* level?”

Indicators (not position-specific) that give you a lot of information on whether a player can play at a higher level are:

- speed —> ability to deal with quicker opponents
- strength —> ability to deal with stronger opponents
- running capacity —> can the player make more high-intensity runs
- stamina —> can the player run more KM’s
- cognitive ability —> handling speed, vision, composure and decision-making under pressure, spatial awareness… how quickly does a player store/process information
- technical consistency —> how consistent are a player’s touches, passes, crosses, etc
- reading of the game/game intelligence —> does the player understand what’s required to play at X level

There are also a few position-specific indicators that I won’t dive into, but as an example, I think for a CB timing is very important.

Additionally, there often are a lot regulations within different FA’s you need to understand and know. For example, non-EU players are required to earn 150% of the average wage in the Dutch Eredivisie.

As a result, it does not make sense to say: FC Volendam needs to sign Player Z from Venezuela. It is not realistic. There only are a handful of clubs in The Netherlands that would go after non-EU players.

Lastly, I’ll go into club culture. Within EVERY organisation, whether it’s in the football industry or not, it’s important to understand the culture of the place/club you’re working at. A player needs to fit within a certain culture to succeed.

If you’ve made it this far… we are interested in hearing your questions regarding scouting and recruitment. Feel free to submit your questions below and we will answer them 👇🏼

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

@wiimoteplus @wkrzFCB @FootballSwissEN We did this last year with Biel. In case of a cup win you can apply for a special license to play in European competitions.

[Stickerpedia @Stickerpedia1]

Switzerland WC 1994 #panini

[Mike Beauvais @MikeBeauvais]

It's time for one last pull of Conan O'Brien's Walker, Texas Ranger Lever.

Rest in peace, Chuck Norris.

[Rilwan @Real1_balogun]

“A few months after I moved to Paris, two of my friends from Diadema came to spend some time with me there. They had broken up with their wife and girlfriend and were sad, so I invited them, hoping the visit would help clear their minds. Great.

“They soon met other Brazilians, who played for a team like the seventh-division amateur league in the suburbs of Paris — all immigrants without proper papers.

“Every night, my two friends came home angry, complaining that they were constantly beaten up. So, I said: “I’ll go over there tomorrow to watch you play.” And I did.

“I arrived wearing a ninja hat, half disguised, and watched. The opponents were all dressed up, with their uniforms, equipment, water bottles, and a coach. And my friends’ team was wearing nothing: one in white shorts, another in purple, a third in yellow. The guys were hanging from the goalposts to warm up…. It was a mess.
At the end of the match, which they lost, I asked:

“Do you want me to train the team?”
I’ll never forget the guys’ smiles. They were so genuinely happy and excited, something I had only seen when I was a kid, when we would fly kites in Diadema.
I started training the guys every Monday, from 10 to midnight. Sometimes I would train them on Monday and play a Champions League match on Tuesday. I even remember scoring a goal against Barcelona on one of those days. I started loving Mondays. I couldn’t wait to be with those guys. We talked, I listened a lot, and I got to know each one’s stories and struggles.

“Some made money playing capoeira, others delivering items on motorbikes or washing dishes. All of them had a hard life, afraid because of their illegal status, with little hope that things would improve, but football brightened up and took the weight off their days.
On my first holidays, I went back to Brazil and went to talk to the ultimate crazy woman, my mother:
“Mum, can you make stuff for the boys there?”

“Say no more! She made travel polo shirts, tracksuits, match uniforms, training uniforms, everything in sizes S, M, L, XL….
I went back to Paris with 21 suitcases. The guys’ dedication grew along with their joy. We started training twice a week, then three times. We got promoted, and at the end of the season, I had a crazy idea. Another one. “I’m going to throw a gala for the team, just like PSG does for us every year.” I rented a castle-like nightclub where Matuidi had thrown his birthday party and started producing ours.

“I had already hired a guy who used to film for PSG to film our guys’ matches, too. I asked him to bring all the videos to my house so we could watch them and choose the best goals of the year, the top scorer, the goalkeeper’s best saves. Let’s show them on the big screen! Then I ordered trophies for the winners of each category. Hey, but what about the others? Plaques! We’re going to make little wooden-and-acrylic plaques with each one’s name on them. Everything was perfect. The day before, I called the guys together:

“Do you have a white button-up shirt and a basic black coat for tomorrow’s party?”
Nobody had one. OK, I will buy you some.
I went to the store myself and got some. Then I thought about their girlfriends and wives. I called the group again and gave each one some pocket money so that their SOs could buy a dress if they wanted.
The party night arrived.

And if I told you it was incredible, one of the most extraordinary emotional moments of my life, as cool as winning the Champions League, would you believe me?”

One of my best stories on @TPTFootball

https://t.co/G8uHnpcqbx

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

@SDspeicherkarte La MaSKIa

[Bayern & Germany @iMiaSanMia]

Vincent Kompany defends Vini Jr and criticizes José Mourinho for his statements after the game

[Oliver Zesiger @aulit_z]

I discovered them a couple of weeks ago, and, honestly, they should be headlining the Super Bowl HT show.

[Craig King - 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘀EN @FootballSwissEN]

📖 Gather round for the tale of Swiss football in 2025..

✨ The good, the bad, the ground-breaking, the record-breaking and a summer where she believed. Let's rewind... 🇨🇭