NEW DELHI: Imagine this. You're sitting in the stands, minutes away from enjoying a U-17 World Cup game. Then a mysterious looking foreigner comes and sits next to you, a couple of sheets in hand. As the game progresses, while you applaud a spectacular goal, his attention seems to be on the wrong end of the field, maybe on the right back who is not involved in active play. Every now and then, he furiously scribbles stuff down on his bits of paper. Don't take him lightly though. You might just be sitting next to the man who will stumble upon the next Lionel Messi.
The U-17 World Cup is awash with scouts. They're everywhere. The organisers are alerted to their presence, when they pop over to ask for a teamsheet, and every venue is awash with talk of sightings. At New Delhi, Manchester United and City scouts turned up for the first game, Sevilla and Malaga scouts for the second, while PSG, Lille and Arsenal scouts were present for the third game. Mumbai has seen Galatasaray scouts and one from Fulham. Barcelona is understood to have a scout following the Spanish team around, according to rumours, to see winger Ferran Torres who plays for Valencia. AC Milan is thought to be one of the many top European clubs scouting French sensation Amine Gouiri. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, the ones who've come to the attention of fans and officials. There are dozens more, silently watching on at every venue.
Alejandro Perez Jimenez has been travelling around India during the group stages with a friend, spending a couple of days watching matches at each venue. Perez's designation at La Liga club Sevilla is Tecnico Deteccion de Talentos, or as we know it, a scout. His friend Miguel Calzado is co-ordinator of the youth academy at Malaga. This is the first time Perez is attending an U-17 World Cup in person, though he scouted the 2015 edition over video. "This year we set ourselves the objective of starting a little earlier in recruiting players to play in our academy, who can finish their training with us," he says. "We seek the talent. Surely, at these ages the players are not complete physically, tactically or technically. But they show talent, a potential that can be harnessed in the future."
If a player catches the eye of one or more of the scouts, there are two ways things will pan out. If the impression he has made is good enough, then he will be snapped before long. According to Mexican media, Diego Lainez has already received a bunch of offers from European clubs, thanks to his exploits in India. His family was reportedly travelling with him throughout the tournament, handling negotiations on his behalf.
But more often than not, things move slower. The scouts go to their immediate superiors, who take a look or two at the player to decide if he needs to be scouted further. "If the player likes me personally, I try to find information about him, agents, relatives and club of origin," Perez says. "Then I consult with my superiors so that in our team we have a joint opinion about what I have observed."
Club scouts though aren't the only ones following the U-17 World Cup. Makers of the popular management game Football Manager confirmed that they had people following every game via video to decide how good each youngster will be in their next edition. "We'll have scouts watching the games. Doesn't mean they need to be there to do so," Miles Jacobson, studio director of Sports Interactive which makes the game, tweeted in reply to a query. "It won't be (the first time they've been watched) though. Most will have been watched for 2 or 3 years already."
As for India, people looking to bump into a Manchester United scout with a checklist titled 'Komal Thatal' will certainly be disappointed. But on the bright side, there is every chance that a Dheeraj Singh or an Anwar Ali will have half-decent ratings on Football Manager next year.
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com