Business of Sport Ep.25: EUROS SPECIAL | David Webb, Assistant Manager @ Georgia National Football Team, ‘We’re not here to be tourists, we’re here to win’

Business of Sport

It’s the start of Euro 2024 this week. To celebrate, we are bringing you one of the stories of the tournament, before it’s even started. Georgia made history early in the year when they qualified for their first ever major tournament, an occasion which saw much of the population on the streets celebrating this longed for achievement. The team put together behind the scenes played a key role in achieving this.

David Webb, an Englishman without international coaching experience but with over 20 years working in football, was brought in by manager Willy Sagnol to be his assistant. A truly unique approach to football and sports psychology, his qualities offered an increasingly valuable opportunity to maximise performance on and off the pitch.

This isn’t a show focused on franchise values and wage budgets. It’s a different ‘business’ of sport. From the individual perspective, it’s how you can go from scout to sporting director to manager to international football. From a broader perspective, it’s the impact of sport on a nation, what it means to wear the national badge, and how you prepare for a major tournament.

In today’s show:

Georgia & Euro 2024:

• How did David come to be the assistant manager of Georgia, helping them qualify for their first ever major international tournament?
• What does this achievement means to the population and country as a whole?
• The importance of manager Willy Sagnol and what the management team have implemented to get the best out of the playing squad.
• A recap of that incredible night in Tbilisi when qualification was confirmed; occasions that only sport can create.
• What is success to Georgia and the coaching staff in this tournament? You don’t want to wait so long to get there only to underperform when the time arrives!

Strong mentality and importance of psychology:

• To David, the best performers have more than great talent on the field. What is the role of a strong and collective mindset in creating winning teams?
• Georgia’s values that every player must buy into; learnings from the All Blacks.
• Why sports psychology is so important in today’s teams, and how it can be harnessed and applied to push further than a group may think possible.
• Uncovering young talent in the national set-up is different to club football. The players at your disposal offers the chance to curate the best team and mix of individuals without going to a board and requesting transfer funds.
• A mix of experience and youth will give you the perfect dynamics to build from, but be careful not to go too far one way.

David’s unique career:

• From scouting days at Crystal Palace and uncovering Wilfried Zaha, to taking the job with Georgia.
• Time spent at Bayer Leverkusen and demonstrating his uncommon (British) approach to talent identification. What are the most important things to look for in young players?
• Working with managers like Eddie Howe and Mauricio Pochettino. What makes the top managers special and how do their styles differ to get the best out of their squads?
• The importance of enjoying the moment and taking it one step at a time.
• Being described as Neurodiverse and coming to terms with the possibility that the culture with which you operate in may not be the one that appreciates your qualities as they should.

We are delighted to partner with Tyndall Investment Management for this show. To learn more about Tyndall and their incredible work in the wealth management sector, please visit https://tyndallim.co.uk/