Amsterdam study reveals hidden networks of agents in commercial soccer schools
A study by the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences reveals a parallel soccer world in the Netherlands, where commercial soccer schools operate outside traditional clubs and the KNVB, the Dutch football association.
The research, covering five years of signals, shows a surge of commercial soccer schools, particularly in the Randstad region. These schools promise young players opportunities to become professionals if they invest in extra training, often at costs far above club fees. Some programs include placements or trials at foreign clubs in Lithuania, Croatia, Turkey, and Italy, bypassing regular club pathways.
Financial practices are unclear. Some schools do not disclose pricing, while others operate by invitation only, leaving parents and players uncertain about costs and contractual terms. The study found strong links between soccer schools and unlicensed player agents.
Amsterdam Alderman for Sport & Exercise Sofyan Mbarki told De Telegraaf, “The research plays on unrealistic soccer dreams. The soccer schools increasingly present themselves as routes to professional football. That demands alertness because this involves children and amateur football.”
He added that Amsterdam has been working to regulate commercial soccer schools for two years and that other cities are starting to follow suit. “The findings from the HvA give reason to also look nationally at what steps are needed. It is time for the KNVB and the ministry to address this issue.”
Jan-Willem van der Roest, a lecturer at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, stressed the need to clarify the scope of the problem. “Not only commercial soccer schools but also professional clubs and the KNVB have a responsibility to promote transparency, safeguard integrity, and ensure a safe sporting environment for youth players,” he told De Telegraaf. He also noted that professional club academies play a role by lending prestige through friendly matches or joint tournaments with soccer schools.
