Training Ground Guru Podcast Chris O’Loughlin: Upsetting the odds with Union Saint-Gilloise
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Dec 13, 2023 Chris O'Loughlin, Sporting Director of Union Saint-Gilloise, shares his journey from Ireland to Belgium and how he transformed a small club into a powerhouse. He discusses the importance of creating a robust club culture and the unique values he established to guide player recruitment. O'Loughlin emphasizes data-driven strategies to find underrated talent, leading to remarkable successes against larger budgets, and outlines ambitious plans for the club's future, including enhancing their academy and dreaming of unforgettable European nights.
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Culture First, Structure Follows
- Chris O'Loughlin built Union's performance model by first defining culture and then aligning medical, analytics and recruitment around it.
- He insists matching player profiles to a lived behavioural culture is as important as technical ability.
Turn Values Into Recruitment Filters
- Define a short set of core values and specify how each looks in daily behaviour and performance.
- Use those values as concrete filters during recruitment for staff and players.
Investigate Character Deeply
- Deep-dive background research identifies real behavioural examples beyond surface social posts.
- Continuously refine definitions of traits like humility and commitment to improve recruitment accuracy.