Feyenoord has made new additions to the scouting apparatus. The club has recruited Mark Ruijl (coordinator scouting and head of data scouting), Christos Akkas and Bernard Schuiteman (both scout), it is confirmed on Wednesday morning via the official channels. Strengthening of the scouting apparatus was necessary at Feyenoord, because Bjarne Hansen was the last remaining talent hunter at the club.
Ruijl and Akkas are new at Feyenoord, while Schuiteman returns to the old nest. The former defender was under contract in De Kuip between 1995 and 1999 and won during that period, among other things, the national title. Technical director Frank Arnesen is happy with the reinforcement. “Expanding scouting and making it future-proof is one of our spearheads,” he says on the club site. “With the arrival of Mark, Christos and Bernard, we are laying a solid foundation for a good scouting apparatus. In this way we can work on getting players who make Feyenoord better – both sportively and financially.”
The quality of scouting has been a point of discussion at Feyenoord for years. Arnesen said in an interview with supporters magazine last month Hand in hand that when he arrived in January 2020, there were only three scouts, plus himself. “I have never seen so few scouts in a club,” he said. Subsequently, however, Michel Beukers (retired after more than 25 years), Mika Lipponen (switched to PSV) and Steven Aptroot (suspended), leaving Arnesen alone with Bjarne Hansen, who focuses on the Scandinavian market.
“With Mark we brought in a data specialist who should form the basis of the scouting apparatus,” says the Dane about the leader of the new scouting apparatus. “Christos is a very talented scout who has earned his spurs at the top of Greek football and internationally. And Bernard has proven to have a nose for football talent from central European competitions at various major European clubs.” Akkas previously worked at PAOK Saloniki and mainly has a network in Greece, Italy, Spain and France, writes RTV Rijnmond. Schuiteman worked as a scout for FC Twente, Rapid Wien, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers and was technical director at Grasshopper Club Zurich last year.