AZ Alkmaar is a club renowned for its ability to nurture top-tier talent through a data-driven approach to player development.

By leveraging EDGE10’s SoccerLAB platform since 2012, AZ has turned its academy into a production line for future stars.  

 

This case study explores how AZ Alkmaar uses SoccerLAB as a single source of truth, combining hard data with psychological and cognitive insights to optimize player development and achieve on-field success. 

The process: A single point of truth

Since partnering with EDGE10, AZ Alkmaar has revolutionised how they approach player development.  

 

SoccerLAB serves as the club’s central hub for all player-related data, managing everything from physical tests and GPS tracking to match events.  

 

However, AZ Alkmaar’s real innovation lies in how they’ve expanded beyond the standard data set. 

The club was one of the first in Europe to enrich player profiles with additional KPIs, including:

• Personality test results
• Attitude assessments
• Cognitive data sets

This holistic approach reflects AZ’s long-term vision: to understand and develop the person behind the player.  

 

SoccerLAB is custom-configured to AZ’s specifications, allowing the club to build personalised development plans for each player, combining objective data with subjective insights. 

The solution: A data driven development strategy

AZ Alkmaar’s SoccerLAB platform integrates diverse data points – physical, psychological, and cognitive – to provide a complete picture of every player.

 

This data-driven methodology allows coaches to:

• Track players’ physical progress with GPS and match data.
• Assess psychological and cognitive attributes to understand how players perform under pressure.
• Combine hard metrics with “soft skills” to predict how players will interact within the team.

Jeroen Peetoom, AZ Alkmaar’s Head of Performance & Development, emphasises the club’s philosophy: 

 

“We believe in the person behind the player, in innovative training methods, in which the eye of the master is combined with facts from data analysis and scientific evidence. SoccerLAB is combining all these objective and subjective KPI’s needed to develop better players.” 

The results: A factory for first team talent

AZ Alkmaar’s commitment to data-driven player development has produced remarkable outcomes. The club consistently promotes talent from its academy to the first team, with tangible results on the European stage.


- Academy Success: In Spring 2023, AZ U19 won the prestigious UEFA Youth League, eliminating heavyweights like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.


- First-Team Impact: Nine academy graduates played in a recent Europa League match against Fenerbahçe, a testament to AZ’s ability to transition young players to senior football.


- Players such as Kwakman (20), Smit (18), and Daal (20) showcased their skills alongside Koopmeiners and others, securing a 3-1 victory against the 23/24 Turkish Süper Lig champions.


This success is no coincidence. It is the result of a meticulously structured development plan, built and refined over eight years using SoccerLAB.

Recognising the pivotal role SoccerLAB plays in their success, AZ Alkmaar recently extended their partnership with EDGE10 until 2029.

 

This renewed contract underscores the club’s trust in the platform as an essential tool for developing the next generation of football stars.

 

AZ Alkmaar’s partnership with EDGE10 demonstrates how data-driven solutions can transform player development.

 

By centralising and enriching player data through SoccerLAB, AZ has created a comprehensive development ecosystem that maximises potential and delivers results both on and off the pitch.

 

SoccerLAB is not just a tool for AZ Alkmaar – it’s the backbone of their long-term strategy, helping them build a sustainable future of success.