Feyenoord Academy (Varkenoord)

Feyenoord Academy, often referred to as Varkenoord, is the joint academy of the professional football clubs Feyenoord and Excelsior located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The academy is a result of the extensive partnership between the two Rotterdam clubs. For the season 2009–10 both clubs merged its reserve teams, while the youth academies officially merged in the summer of 2010.

Feyenoord Academy is based on the structure of the former Feyenoord youth academy, with the addition of various Excelsior youth players and staff members. The newly formed Feyenoord Academy gained the official regional youth academy status from the KNVB and is located at Sportcomplex Varkenoord. All academy teams participate under the name Feyenoord/Excelsior and wear the Feyenoord jersey.

In May 2010, Feyenoord Academy won the Rinus Michels Award for best youth academy in the Netherlands. Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam were the other nominees. Feyenoord Academy won the award for its innovation within the academy, the overall success of its teams in the national youth leagues and the high amount of players in the national youth teams.

Reserves
In the summer of 2009 Feyenoord and Excelsior merged its reserve teams. The Feyenoord/Excelsior reserves play under the name Jong Feyenoord/Excelsior. The current reserve team manager is André Hoekstra, who was appointed in the summer of 2009. The team plays its home matches at Stadion Woudestein, the home venue of Excelsior As of the season 2010–11 the reserve team was officially disbanded, but kept participating in the Beloften Eredivisie without a permanent squad. The formation varies and consists of reserve players from Feyenoord and Excelsior first team squads, with the possible addition of emerging academy players. The players train with their own teams, without having the chance to actually train together. On match days the team is coached by André Hoekstra.

Structure
Feyenoord Academy was officially founded in the summer of 2010, when the youth academies of Feyenoord and Excelsior continued as one academy. The rise in transfer fees and the increase in value of young players have signalled a further need for Feyenoord and Excelsior to further support the academy. Despite being a mutual academy, the goal of the Feyenoord Academy remains to develop young players into professional football players for Feyenoord's first team squad.

The Feyenoord Academy comprises age-group teams ranging from U8's up to the flagship U19's. The youngest players are scouted at amateur clubs in the direct surroundings of Rotterdam. For the age of twelve and older the academy extends its scouting area, mainly to the remaining part of the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. Until the U12 team, the players only have training sessions during the evening and are largely guided by part time coaches. When players are ready to join secondary education they start training during daytime. A close partnership with LOOT-school Thorbecke allows Feyenoord Academy to offer players a full time training program, while the school adapts its time table to the players training program.

Feyenoord/Excelsior U19
The final team of the Feyenoord Academy is Feyenoord/Excelsior U19, previously known as Feyenoord/Excelsior A1.

Academy graduates in first team squad
By the dismantle of the reserve team squad in the summer of 2010, the extra step between the academy and the first team squads was taken away. This means a high amount of academy graduates are currently active in both Excelsior and Feyenoord's first team squads.

Notable former players in other squads

 * Karim Rekik - Manchester City
 * Jeffrey Bruma - Chelsea
 * Kyle Ebicilio - Arsenal
 * Nathan Aké - Chelsea
 * Robin van Persie - Manchester United
 * Rajiv van La Parra - SC Heerenveen
 * Leroy Fer - FC Twente
 * Jerson Cabral - FC Twente
 * Luc Castaignos - FC Twente
 * Luigi Bruins - Nice
 * Georginio Wijnaldum - PSV Eindhoven
 * Jonathan de Guzmán - Swansea City

Honours

 * Rinus Michels Award: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013