Sevilla FC Hosts the second transnational meeting of the European BIO-AGE 2.0 Project
The facilities of the Sevilla FC Training Ground on Utrera Road hosted the second Transnational Project Meeting (TPM2) of the BIO-AGE 2.0 project, part of the European Union’s Erasmus+ Sport programme (Project No. 101243778). Over the course of two working days, the six partners of the international consortium shared progress, methodologies, and practical tools aimed at transforming youth talent development in European football.
A High-level technical and scientific meeting.
The first day began with a project status presentation and an online session on the BIO-BANDING Tournament, delivered by German partner Borussia Dortmund. This was followed by a central session led by the Polish Football Association (PZPN), consisting of both a presentation and a practical workshop under the title “Player-Centered Approach in the Polish Football Association Development System.” The session explored current challenges in youth football, differences between early and late maturation, and practical tools to help coaches manage maturational diversity within their squads.
The afternoon was especially significant for the host club. Sevilla FC presented its talk “Player Development at Sevilla FC: 26 Years of Experience and Evolution,” delivered by Julián Andrés Cabrera and Mercedes Valiente. The presentation highlighted the depth of Sevilla FC’s player development model and its ability to adapt to the various stages of individual and collective player growth. The day concluded with a visit to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium.
Second Day: Recommendations, behaviour models, and next steps.
The second day focused on consolidating the consortium’s collective work. Warta Poznań and Hannover 96 presented progress regarding the psychological aspects of developing players with different maturation rates. Afterwards, the consortium worked on recommendations and case studies for the practical guide aimed at coaches, one of the project’s key deliverables.
MSH Medical School Hamburg presented the application of the COM-B Model as a framework for identifying entry points for implementing biological maturation into daily football practice. The meeting concluded with a planning session covering upcoming tasks and timelines for the coming months, before participants visited Sevilla FC’s training facilities.
The role of the Innovation Center.
Hosting TPM2 in Seville further strengthens the role of Sevilla FC’s Innovation Center as a European hub for innovation in youth football development. The club not only participates as an active partner throughout all three project phases — methodology, implementation, and dissemination — but also contributes its own expertise accumulated over decades of player development work, backed by tangible results in professional football.
BIO-AGE 2.0 promotes a fairer and more inclusive talent identification and development model, in which biological maturation — rather than chronological age alone — guides decisions related to selection, training, and scouting. This approach naturally aligns with the philosophy of the Innovation Center: science-based innovation applied to real football environments.
The project will continue until 2028. The next transnational meeting will take place soon, according to the consortium’s agreed schedule.
More information about the project: bio-age.eu
Would your club or institution like to learn more about BIO-AGE 2.0 or explore potential collaborations with Sevilla FC’s Innovation Center? Contact us at [email protected]