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[quote=Anonymous]And to answer the original question about which European country...It all depends on your goals and the type of player your kid is.  As the other people on this thread have aptly noted, each country has their own methodologies and systems and one may be good for one type of player and not so good for another.  If you're really considering trying to play in Europe, you have to be very honest with yourself and your kid about his potential, his positions (no kid is locked into one position at 10 yrs old) and what is the best environment for his development.  The reality is that European football is just at a much different level than in the US. IN EVERY WAY.  Speed of play is faster.  Kids are smarter with the ball at younger ages.  Technical skills are better (and by technical skills I don't mean doing fancy moves on cones and making IG reels, I mean consistent first touch with both feet under extreme pressure, can trap the ball with all parts of body easily on the ground and out of the air and under duress, chip 10, 20, 30 yards with both feet, passing accuracy is high with both feet, notice "both feet", solid 1v1 and dueling etc) and lastly, coaches are just better.  That doesn't mean we don't have good coaches in the US, we do, but end of day, our coaches usually have never sniffed the upper echelons of the game EVEN IN THE US.  A lot of the youth coaches in Europe have either played pro themselves in Europe or have been through extensive coaching training again, in Europe.  Its just a totally different world.

Having seen youth academies from all of the countries that have been offered by previous posters, I would say this...French youth players seem to play more freely and without inherent limitations from the academy. 
 Germany is heavily structured but your player will learn the game in an environment that breeds discipline and efficiency with the ball and their movements while also learning defensive abilities (German football is very physical defensively and for American players this is where they all fail.  Not just being physical, they are good at that.  But more, how to actually play defense which is just not taught in the US).  Netherlands, kids are masters of the ball...You can see that they emphasize touches and touch rate in training to breed confidence on the ball in all situations and finding solutions themselves. Finding solutions within is one of the main reasons why I think players set themselves apart.  Most of the academies are on some Cryuff model of total futbol.  Spain the kids understand how to move the ball to create space for the team and themselves and how to create numerical superiority all over the pitch.  Passing accuracy is at a premium.  Much less dribbling than you would think.  I would say dribbling is not preferred in many of the systems in Europe unless that is the smartest way to advance the ball.  England, structured like Germany.  More direct football than one would think at the younger ages.  One country that we haven't seen on this thread is Portugal.  Some of the best youth academies I have seen.  Creativity, athleticism, technical ability.  A lot of the academies in Portugal know how to develop players and it is proven.

Again, all depends on what you're looking for and your particular situation.  Just my two cents...[/quote]

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