Fabregas' team makes bold move

Social media is full of “football experts”. But sometimes, in that sea of people, there is a name that turns illusion into reality. Felix Johnston, a 20-year-old Englishman, has just been appointed as a first-team scout by Serie A club Como 1907.

Just a year ago, Johnston was a Chelsea fan who posted youth player analysis on X (Twitter). He re-watched the academy team’s matches, wrote commentary on players like Lewis Hall and Kendry Paez, and gradually became one of the most popular accounts in the Chelsea community.

“I started during lockdown when my friend said, ‘You should go on Twitter, where people talk about football.’ I took it seriously and then fell in love with the Chelsea academy,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Curiosity turned into habit, then into a real passion. When Chelsea shifted to a youth recruitment model, Johnston spent sleepless nights watching youth tournaments. “I stayed up until 2am watching Paez at the Under-17 World Cup, then Estevao in Brazil. I scouted more players myself and started to get noticed by people in the industry,” he says.

The turning point came in April this year. Danish club Vejle offered him a job as a scouting consultant. Three months later, Como got in touch. “Como’s recruitment director messaged me on Twitter, saying he liked what I was posting and wanted to find young scouts. I agreed and nine weeks later, I had a real job,” Johnston recalls.

Now, Johnston is studying at university in Milan while working for the team managed by Cesc Fabregas. His job is to watch players selected by data and write detailed evaluation reports. “I usually need to watch five games to complete a report. If a player has had few touches on the ball, I will watch more,” Johnston said.

Como’s recruitment director was head of data at AZ Alkmaar, so Johnston was encouraged to combine numbers with gut feeling. It was a new way of recruiting, where a social media maven could become a real force in the professional system.

Como are currently seventh in Serie A, an impressive achievement for a team promoted last year. Their bold approach, which focuses on innovation and the acquisition of young talent, is paying off.

Johnston even made the first suggestion: Deinner Ordonez, a 16-year-old midfielder from Independiente del Valle, the academy that produced Moisés Caicedo. “He has great potential,” he said.

From a Twitter “keyboard expert” to a professional staff member at a Serie A football team, Felix Johnston has not only told a modern fairy tale, but has also proven that, in the era of data football and social media, passion and genuine understanding can still open doors to the professional world .

Source: https://znews.vn/doi-cua-fabregas-co-nuoc-di-tao-bao-post1601800.html