Invited by the German Football League (DFL), FC Augsburg sporting director Benjamin Weber is currently visiting World Cup co-host the United States on an inspirational networking trip.
Logically, Weber will also be keeping an eye on the matches, but says he is “not really” using the tournament to scout players.
“The market is so obvious, and there are many, many clubs queuing up for the biggest players on a stage where the whole world can see them,” Weber said in an exclusive interview with Bulinews.com.
“Sure, we scout, but what’s really interesting is to see the mentality and playing style of the different teams and countries. It gives you a different perspective on the game, and there are many things you can learn and take back to the club.”
Even if Augsburg are not actively looking to recruit players at the World Cup, Weber says the tournament still has a significant impact on the club’s transfer planning.
“When you have a big tournament, there is always a bit of a delay in transfers. We are prepared, but we know that the market will start after the World Cup when the bigger clubs start to do their transfers, and this will give an output further down the market to the smaller clubs like us. That’s normal,” he said.
“You can’t predict it, because sometimes you will have a case during the World Cup, but in general we know that it will be a long transfer window and that we’ll have to wait a little bit.”
Mentality over talent
Once the tournament is over, Augsburg will step up their efforts to strengthen the squad – and as Weber explains, personality is the most important factor in recruitment.
“Character is always more important for us than talent. That’s how we want to scout and build a group. We want strong characters on and off the pitch. That’s very important for us,” he explained.
“When you scout at a certain level, everybody is talented. It’s about how you bring out that talent, and we want to build a strong group, not just rely on individual players.”
Weber has seen his fair share of dressing rooms over the years, having spent 13 years working under current England manager Thomas Tuchel as a video analyst at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
The 43-year-old draws heavily on those experiences today, with a strong focus on team building and human qualities shaped by that period.
“When you analyse a game or an opponent, it’s about having a vision for the game and paying attention to the details in both players and matches. That has helped me understand what is needed in a football team: what you need on the pitch as well as off it. You can of course use data as a basis for scouting, and it’s nice to have this in my toolbox, but in the end it’s more about the human side for me: how a group works together, how they get along, and how they bond,” Weber explained.
“The dressing rooms I’ve experienced have been at different levels, but at every level, when we were successful, we always had a really strong bond within the group. Not just the sporting director or the coach needs to lead, but the players as well. And you can only lead effectively when your team has good character and takes care of one another.”
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