Swieqi united fc Projects
Overview
GOAL: Growing Outstanding Athletic Leaders
Grant Agreement No.: 101245308
Project Partners: Swieqi United Football Club – Malta (COO), Union Plaani Ry – Finland (BEN) and Stichting Hogeschool Van Arnhem Ennijmegen Han – Netherlands (BEN)
GOAL is about Talent Identification in football (TID) which is a structured process of identifying, assessing, and developing young players with high potential through objective criteria, systematic observation, and scientific analysis. While several European countries have already implemented well-established scouting and talent development models, others – such as Malta – are still in the process of building structured systems. The GOAL project (Growing Outstanding Athletic Leaders) was created to address this gap. Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, GOAL aims to innovate and strengthen youth football development by designing and implementing a sustainable and evidence-based Talent Identification Football model in Malta while strengthening that of Finland.
The project is built on a strong European partnership involving Swieqi United Football Club (Malta), Union Plaani (Finland), and Stichting Hogeschool van Arnhem and Nijmegen – HAN University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands). Each partner contributes complementary expertise in scouting, coaching, and sports nutrition, supported by a data-driven and scientifically grounded approach. Through the exchange of best practices and applied research, GOAL promotes European-level collaboration while supporting Malta in reaching the standards of countries with advanced talent identification systems. The project combines theory and practice through workshops, study visits, on-field observations, and online meetings, creating a dynamic and collaborative learning environment with a lasting impact on youth football development.
Activites
The
activities
To achieve these objectives, the GOAL project is implemented through a structured programme of collaborative activities that actively engages all three partner organisations.
In-Person Training and Coaching Sessions in Malta
Timeline
How it all played out
November 2025 – January 2026
Kick-off & Development
During the pre-kick-off phase, we focused on getting the project “ready to deliver”. This included finalising the project branding and visual identity, preparing core communication assets (key messages, templates, and promotional materials), and setting up the main channels for outreach (web pages and social media foundations, partner visibility guidelines, and dissemination workflows). In parallel, we put operational arrangements in place—confirming roles and coordination routines, establishing reporting and evidence-collection processes, and aligning internal tools for activity tracking—so that implementation could start smoothly and consistently across all partners.
March 2026
In-Person Training and Coaching Sessions in Malta
The activity included an in-person training and coaching session in Malta with 42 participants held at the Malta Football Association on 13 March 2025 and at Swieqi United FC Club House on 14 March 2025. The training aimed at deepening the understanding of Talent Identification principles in youth football and targeted at coaches and sports practitioners from the project partners. The sessions were led by field experts from HAN University and designed to combine theoretical input with practical applications, supporting effective learning and immediate real-world implementation.
Talent Identification Training in Malta at the Malta Football Association
March – May 2026
Deliver 3 Online Trainings:
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- Online Workshop – Data –Driven Scouting Workshop held on 26 March 2026: The workshop focused on the analysis of the different development stages of under-12 male and female football players, with particular attention to the differences between early and late developers. The activity provided participants with practical tools and methods to adapt training to the various phases of growth, supporting a more balanced assessment of young players’ potential and promoting a harmonious and sustainable development of their skills.
- Online Workshop – Growth & Maturation in TID Online Knowledge Exchange Meeting held on 9 April 2026: The online session focused on the growth and maturation of young footballers, with a particular emphasis on the Relative Age Effect, a factor that can influence talent selection processes in youth football. Participants had the opportunity to explore data and practical tools to mitigate these biases, making the talent identification process fairer and more accurate through break-out sessions.
- Online Workshop – Integrated Approach Workshop on Evidence-based Training & Nutrition being held on 7 May 2026: The workshop will focus on cognitive biases that can affect talent identification, such as confirmation, affinity, and outcome bias. Using a science- and data-driven approach that combines training and nutrition, participants learned to recognise and reduce these biases, make more objective decisions, and support balanced, inclusive development of young athletes.
June – October 2026
Final meeting & Final Project Event in Finland
The project concluded with a two-day event in Finland from 6-9 June 2026, to present the final results and ensure the sustainability of the Talent Identification Framework model. Participants had the opportunity to share their operational plans for talent identification and discuss experiences, ideas, and strategies for the future.
Final Project Event in Finland
Building a National Talent Identification Framework for Football in Malta
As part of the GOAL – Growing Outstanding Athletic Leaders project, this Policy Recommendation Paper (D1.4) is addressed to Malta’s Ministry responsible for Sport, the Parliamentary Opposition, the Malta Football Association, and the European Commission. Drawing on scientific research, European good practices from the Netherlands and Finland, and the practical outputs of the GOAL pilot at Swieqi United FC, the paper makes the case for a structured, inclusive national Talent Identification Framework — one that moves beyond informal, club-by-club selection towards a coordinated, data-informed and long-term approach to developing young athletic talent in Malta, starting with football. The full paper is available to download here.
Policy Recommendations for a National Talent Identification Framework for Sport in Malta: Towards a national talent identification framework for sport in Malta: evidence and policy recommendations from the GOAL Project.
Meeting with the Shadow Minister for Sport in Malta – Valletta Malta
On 20 October 2026, Swieqi United FC presented the GOAL project’s policy recommendations for a national Talent Identification Framework for Malta to the Hon. Graham Bencini, Shadow Minister for Sport, at Parliament in Valletta. Developed with HAN University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) and Union Plaani (Finland) under the Erasmus+ Sport programme, the recommendations propose a fairer, evidence-based way of identifying and developing young talent, starting with football as a pilot for other sports. Mr Bencini welcomed the initiative and recognised the club’s forward thinking in looking beyond Malta’s borders and challenging the status quo for greater equity in sport.
Swieqi United FC presents the GOAL project’s recommendations for a national Talent Identification Framework for Malta to the Hon. Graham Bencini, Shadow Minister for Sport, at Parliament, Valletta, on 20 October 2026. [Left to right: Hon. Graham Bencini, Shadow Minister for Sport, Dr Justin Fenech, President SUFC, Jasper De Muijnck, Head Football Development, SUFC.
Meeting with National Sport Minister of Malta- Valletta Malta
A meeting with the Maltese Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation to present the project’s policy paper. The discussion will focus on key recommendations and insights aimed at supporting youth talent identification and development in football, fostering evidence-based practices, and promoting strategic improvements at the national level.
Partners
Our Partners
GOAL is a project co-funded by the European Union, developed through the collaboration of three key partner organisations across Europe: Swieqi United Football Club – Malta (COO), Union Plaani Ry – Finland (BEN) and Stichting Hogeschool Van Arnhem Ennijmegen Han – Netherlands (BEN).
Swieqi United Football Club (Malta)
Role: Project Coordinator
Responsibilities: Overall project management, coordination of training activities in Malta, and communication and dissemination activities including the presentation of the findings to the Maltese Minister for Sport.
Union Plaani (Finland)
Role: Project Partner
Responsibilities: Participation in training activities, organisation and hosting of the final project meeting and final event in Finland, contribution to the sustainability plan and evaluation report, support with communication and dissemination activities.
Stichting Hogeschool Van Arnhem En Nijmegen – HAN (Netherlands)
Role: Project Partner
Responsibilities: Delivery of training sessions and an in-person coaching day in Malta, implementation of three online training courses (data-driven scouting workshop, online knowledge-exchange session on growth and maturation within TID, and a workshop on an integrated evidence-based approach to training and nutrition), support with communication and dissemination activities.
Together, these partners combine academic, sporting and organisational expertise to deliver a high-value project focused on evidence-based education, knowledge exchange and sustainable development within the sporting context.
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