NewsAssociation
Launch of the Double Pass Project in Warsaw
On Monday, 18 August 2025, a conference was held in Warsaw to mark the official launch of the Double Pass project – one of the most significant initiatives in recent years in the field of football development in Poland. The event brought together representatives of the Polish Football Association, Ekstraklasa S.A., the 1. Liga, Double Pass, as well as coaches of Poland’s youth national teams, along with club presidents, sporting directors and academy heads from the country’s top two divisions.
The main objective of the project, which is planned to be implemented between 2025 and 2028, is to influence the development of football talent in Poland by improving the quality of training and supporting the sustainable sporting, financial and social development of all clubs and academies. Thanks to the cooperation launched today, Polish clubs will receive a self-sufficient development system based on international standards and adapted to local conditions.
The agreement with Double Pass was signed on 24 June 2025 at PGE Narodowy. Monday's conference was the official launch of the programme and an opportunity to present its key objectives. “This is a landmark moment for Polish football. We are opening a new chapter in the development of young talent. The importance of this project is best reflected in the calibre of the people present here today. Double Pass is a world-renowned partner, working with Europe’s top leagues as well as national associations. Through this cooperation, our academies will gain the tools to educate players even more effectively at the highest level. We see this project as a joint investment in the future of Polish football,” said Sławomir Kopczewski, Vice President of the Polish FA responsible for coaching and education.
“The cooperation with Double Pass is a huge opportunity for Polish club football. We fully understand the challenges our clubs face today and how they can make the next step in terms of quality. This is another natural stage in the process of professionalisation. We are developing in a sustainable way, as evidenced by our recent rise in the UEFA club ranking, but we have no intention of stopping there. We see even greater potential that needs to be unlocked. I am convinced that when we review the project in four years’ time, we will be able to demonstrate tangible results of our joint efforts, such as a lower average age of players and an increased number of academy graduates making their debuts in the Ekstraklasa,” said Marcin Animucki, President of Ekstraklasa S.A. and Vice President of the PZPN for Professional Football.
“For many years, the 1. Liga has played an important role as a bridge between youth and senior football. It is often here that young players gain their first serious experience of competing at a high level. That is why we are delighted that, as part of the Double Pass project, our clubs will receive support in building professional training facilities. Together with the PZPN and Ekstraklasa, we want to create a coherent system that will allow us to develop talent even more effectively and prepare players for top-level football in Poland and abroad. This is an investment in the future of Polish football, in which the 1. Liga has an important role to play,” added Marcin Janicki, President of the 1. Liga.
Double Pass has been operating on the market for over 20 years, working with associations, confederations, leagues, clubs and governmental institutions. The company offers solutions across three main areas of service: auditing and analysis, education and mentoring, and implementation and consultancy. Its motto, “Building Value from the Core”, aptly reflects the essence of the project: strengthening the foundations of football by improving the quality of academies and the process of developing players into the senior game.
The four-year programme aims to raise the standards of football education across Poland and ensure their long-term sustainability. It will be implemented in four phases. The first involves a comprehensive analysis, providing an in-depth assessment to fully understand the current state of Polish football. The second focuses on targeted education, introducing modern solutions for the management of clubs and academies. The third is systematic auditing and certification, enabling the evaluation of academy performance against global benchmarks. The fourth phase will consist of tailored implementation – personalised, hands-on support that translates theoretical knowledge and audit findings into practical, lasting improvements.
“As a coach and as someone who was previously involved in the Certification Programme, I can say that this extensive project is the missing piece of the system. It is an initiative we have been waiting for for many years, one that can fill the gap in quality youth development in our country. Together with Double Pass, we will focus on players aged 13 and above, while the certification programme run by the PZPN for the past few years has covered the younger age groups,” explained Tomasz Zahorski, former Poland international and participant at UEFA EURO 2008, who has been appointed as the project coordinator on behalf of the PZPN.
“We assume that clubs will be eager to cooperate, as they have much to gain. They bear no costs yet receive expert support and access to proven methods. Our common objective is to reduce the number of ‘lost’ talents and to provide players with the best possible conditions for players to progress from junior to senior football,” added Zahorski.
Double Pass has already cooperated with some Polish clubs in the past, but the programme will now be extended to the entire ecosystem at professional level. Ekstraklasa clubs will be the first to participate in the cooperation, and from 2027 they will be joined by Betclic 1. Liga teams. The project is fully financed by the PZPN and Ekstraklasa S.A., and participation is voluntary.
