Scoring Talent: Global Soccer and the Independiente del Valle Model

The case presents Independiente del Valle Specialized High-Performance Club, an Ecuadorian sports club focused on soccer. It competed in the third division until 2007, when a group of businessmen led by Michel Deller assumed ownership. Since then, the club has offered housing, meals, and education to children aged 13 and older in its Specialized High-Performance Center in Quito, where they learn the fundamentals of soccer and refine their skills. Applying this holistic approach to player development, the team has been the leading contributor since 2012 to all of Ecuador's youth teams and the national squad. Additionally, the club rapidly became the second-most celebrated Ecuadorian team internationally with three regional trophies. The club's ability to attract, nurture, and develop talent caught the attention of international teams looking for rising stars and generated a consistent revenue flow through transfer fees. To ensure model sustainability, the Board of Directors decided never to include this income in the annual budget of the first division team to avoid short-sighted decisions that could consume the income in a few years. This commitment would be tested as Independiente increasingly competed with clubs with higher fan bases and historic sponsorship appeal, making it hard to cover the first-division team expenses through matchday income, sponsorships, and broadcasting rights. The case allows students to compare different business models in the global soccer industry and the challenges presented by a strategy for developing top football players.