New training in scouting and talent identification in soccer
Supervised by recognized professionals in the field of recruitment(scouts, recruitment managers, sporting directors), this University Diploma has been designed to meet the growing demands of professional and semi-professional football clubs, as well as player agencies.
Delivered in a hybrid format over 200 hours, the training includes three face-to-face seminars and is aimed at those who wish to become soccer player recruiters. It prepares participants to join recruitment teams within various structures:first teams, post-training teams, or academies of Ligue 1 (L1), Ligue 2 (L2), National 1, or National 2 clubs.
With direct links to professionals currently working in professional clubs, this program offers practical immersion through a mandatory internship in a recruitment unit, ensuring that the training is in line with the realities of the field.
Objectives
- Knowledge of the game and its environment
- Develop a methodology and tools to observe, analyze, and identify players according to the team's needs.
- Write and submit match or player reports in French and English
- Mastering regulations and the legal framework (transfers, various contracts, LFP Charter)
- Use of digital tools and DATA
- Developing interpersonal skills: Creating/maintaining a network (in France and abroad) and adopting an appropriate attitude within the unit
Target audience
- Candidates with a university degree in sports.
- High-level athletes in a career transition project.
- Candidate with experience in recruitment and training.
- Employees of professional clubs who wish to undergo training.
- Football managers and technical advisors.
- Player agents or agency employees.
- Sports directors or sports managers of amateur clubs.
Prerequisites: Candidates must have a good knowledge of soccer and a basic understanding of Windows and Mac OS systems (installation, file management, and windows). They must also know how to access digital work or online learning environments.
Teaching staff
This training course is led by a team of expert instructors:
- Thomas Maurin: Head of Scouting at the HORIZON player agency
- Romain Decool: Sports coordinator and head of recruitment, US Dunkerque
- Sébastien Larcier: Sporting director, formerly with Dijon, Angers, and Nîmes
- Tarik El Adi: Scout, Clermont Foot 63
- Rachid Boulbab: Educational Engineer
- English teacher
Expert opinions: different perspectives on training
Beyond their backgrounds and expertise, we wanted to give a voice to those who bring this program to life. Two members of the teaching team agreed to share their vision, their commitment, and their approach to teaching. Through these exchanges, discover what drives them and what they pass on to learners.
Thomas Maurin
Originally from Hérault, Thomas Maurin, 34, has been working in the recruitment industry for over a decade.
A former regional-level player and youth coach, he started out at AS Béziers before moving on to Toulouse FC, Manchester United's academy, Olympique de Marseille, Clermont Foot and then Olympique Lyonnais, where he worked in both the domestic and international markets, scouting both young and professional players.
Since October 2024, he has been working as a freelancer for an agency, carrying out recruitment and performance monitoring assignments in France and Ivory Coast.
With a wealth of experience ranging from semi-professional soccer to Europe's biggest clubs, he will share with students a concrete vision of the recruitment profession: its requirements, realities, decision-making processes, and strategic challenges.
Through real-life examples, he will provide a detailed understanding of modern scouting, emphasizing the skills essential for success: rigor, game analysis, understanding the football business, managing emotions, and the ability to work discreetly.
Sebastien LARCIER
A former professional player for Dijon Football Côte d’Or (DFCO), Sébastien Larcier saw his sporting career come to an end in 2008 following cardiac hypertrophy.
He quickly shifted his focus to behind-the-scenes work in professional soccer, creating the DFCO recruitment unit before becoming its manager and then director of recruitment until 2020.
He then continued his career as sporting director at SCO Angers (2020–2022), then at Nîmes Olympique (2023–2025).
With this comprehensive experience, from the field to strategic management positions, he now shares his expertise in recruitment methodology, talent identification, and transfer process management, both in purchasing and sales, providing learners with a concrete and operational vision of professional soccer.
Training session
A training session is planned for the current year:
- from October 20 to June 30, 2027
Are you interested in this training course?
To apply, please complete the following form.
As the number of places is limited, please send us your application beforeAugust 31, 2026.
A promise of an internship within a club's recruitment unit or a player agency will be an asset for joining the training program.
Do you have any questions? Contact the training manager, Aurélie MERLE: aurelie.merle@umontpellier.fr.