‘Your child has been put forward for the Footeco trials.’ Many parents hear this from the coach for the first time, and then the questions start: What actually is Footeco? How much of a commitment is it? What does it cost? And what if it doesn’t work out? As football personal trainers, we support children before, during and after Footeco every year. Here we explain the programme the way we would explain it to parents in a first consultation.
FOOTECO IN 30 SECONDS
- What: the Swiss Football Association’s (SFV) talent development programme for 11- to 14-year-olds
- Teams 2026/27: FE-12 (born 2015), FE-13 (2014), FE-14 (2013)
- Getting in: only through your own club, which nominates your child for the trials
- Commitment: 3–4 training sessions a week plus matches and tournaments
- Costs (Zurich region): approx. CHF 600–800 training fee plus approx. CHF 400–500 for kit
What is Footeco?
The name stands for football, technique and coordination. Footeco is the SFV’s youth development programme for talented players aged 11 to 14 and has been running since 2012. The Swiss Football League supports it with CHF 1 million every year.
The idea behind it: talent should not be selected too early, nor purely on physical size. In the past, big clubs were already competing for very young children, often the physically strongest. Footeco is meant to change that. The focus is on technique, understanding of the game and how the team plays, not just the result. Every child should get playing time, and smaller players should not be at a disadvantage compared with bigger ones.
The Footeco levels 2026/27
The figures below are for the Zurich region (Zurich regional association, FVRZ). The structure is similar in other regions, but details such as training days or costs may differ. To see which category applies in normal club football, have a look at our overview Youth football categories 2026/27.
| Team | Year of birth | Sessions/week | Match format |
|---|---|---|---|
| FE-12 | 2015 | 3 | 7 v 7, 4 × 15 min |
| FE-13 | 2014 | 3–4 | 9 v 9, 4 × 20 min |
| FE-14 | 2013 | 3–4 | 9 v 9 (11 v 11 in the second half of the season), 3 × 30 min |
In the Zurich region, training usually takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On top of that, there are around 11 league matches per half-season, friendlies and several tournaments, including indoor tournaments for FE-12. There is a break of at least three weeks in summer and over Christmas.
How does my child get into Footeco?
Important first: parents cannot register their child themselves. The route always goes through your child’s own club, known as the home club (‘Stammverein’ in German). This is how it works in the Zurich region:
- The club makes a proposal: children in the older E-junior year group (U-11) are nominated and, by arrangement, particularly talented children from the younger E-junior year group too.
- Talk with the parents: the club discusses the nomination with you. Your child is only registered once you have agreed.
- Trials in spring: three to four trial sessions take place between roughly mid-March and mid-May.
- Decision and start: those who impress start in the summer in the FE-12 team of the lead club.
Every club belongs to a training district with a designated lead club (‘Leadverein’). In the Zurich region, these are FC Zürich, GC and FC Winterthur (together with FC Schaffhausen). For the GC training districts March/Obersee, nominations go through FC Rapperswil-Jona. If you live elsewhere in Switzerland, your club or regional association can tell you which lead club is responsible.
Next trials: for children born in 2016 (girls: born in 2015 and 2016), the FE-12 trials in the Zurich region take place in spring 2027. Clubs are informed in late autumn 2026. If your child could be a candidate, now is a good time to talk to the coach.
Missed out? There is a second chance
From FE-12 onwards, the lead clubs hold follow-up trials every six months. Children are nominated if they have developed strongly during the current season or were unable to take part the year before. From FE-13, the lead clubs also scout players themselves and contact clubs directly. What scouts look for is explained in our article How to get scouted in football.
It works the other way round, too: Footeco is not a three-year subscription. Players are assessed continuously and can be dropped after any year or half-year. They then return to their home club. Incidentally, the player licence stays with the home club the whole time; there is no change of club.
‘We have lots of examples. Some make it into Footeco early, and with the younger teams it’s still a bit easier. Some of them develop really well. Others think they’ve made it as soon as they’re in. But that’s where the journey only begins: you have to put in extra work, take responsibility for yourself, keep pushing and never lose the enjoyment.’
Nic Keller, co-founder of 360Football
What do the scouts look for at the trials?
The lead clubs’ official assessment sheets are not public. From our experience with the players we have prepared for trials, these are the things that stand out most:
- Keeping the ball under pressure: staying calm in tight spaces and not losing the ball.
- Speed of action: checking over the shoulder before receiving the ball, making quick and correct decisions.
- Technique with both feet: first touch, dribbling, quality of passing.
- Pace and acceleration: important, but deliberately not the only criterion.
- Personality: effort, courage, how the child reacts to mistakes and whether they put instructions into practice.
Everyday life, costs and organisation
- Costs (Zurich region): training fee approx. CHF 600–800, kit approx. CHF 400–500. The amounts vary slightly from one lead club to another.
- Transport: parents organise transport to training, matches and tournaments. Car-sharing with other families helps enormously.
- Time: with three to four training sessions, weekend matches and travel, Footeco becomes a fixed point in the week for the whole family.
- School: with three to four training sessions a week, it pays to plan homework and study time early. Our article Football and school can help.
Is Footeco worth it?
Usually yes, but not at any price. Our honest assessment:
‘The biggest mistake parents make is being too driven themselves. The motivation has to come from the child. If it does come from the child, you can and should encourage it and push it, and then Footeco is worth it. It does take a certain amount of support, for example giving them a lift now and then. Independence matters too, of course, such as letting your child travel by public transport. But if the journey is extremely long, or the difference in level isn’t that big because the local team happens to have a very strong year group, you can quite happily wait a while and switch later. On the whole, though, I’m a fan of moving to Footeco when the opportunity comes up, as long as the child keeps their enjoyment and self-confidence.’
Nic Keller, co-founder of 360Football
Not selected – what now?
To be honest: most children don’t get into Footeco, and many of those who do don’t make the next step afterwards. In the Winterthur region, for example, up to 120 children are tested at the trials, and according to one club only around 20 are left by the time the U-15 team comes around. A ‘no’ at the age of 10 or 11 is therefore not a verdict on the future. Late developers and children born late in the year in particular often catch up once they grow physically and keep working on their technique.
‘Others weren’t selected and played in the Youth League, for example, up to U-15 or U-16 age. They still made the step up because they always put in extra work. At some point, those extra quality training sessions simply show. One of them is now an absolute key player in a U-16 side, is still developing and has the best numbers in the team.’
Nic Keller, co-founder of 360Football
What really helps: keep enjoying the game, play a lot at the club and work specifically on the two or three things that were missing at the trials. That is exactly what the follow-up trials are for.
How to prepare sensibly (without pressure)
- Lots of ball, little pressure: children who play a lot with the ball, including outside with friends, have an advantage at trials.
- Targeted, not just more: rather than doing extra running every day, work once a week in a focused way on keeping the ball and making quick decisions.
- Weak foot: gets noticed at every trial. You’ll find tips in our article Training the weak foot.
- Sleep and food: with three to four training sessions a week, recovery becomes a performance factor. See our nutrition guide for young footballers.
- Let your child decide: Footeco has to be the child’s goal, not just the parents’.
‘When a child prepares for trials with us, we go through everything on the pitch that matters for them to make a positive impression, tailored specifically to the trial sessions. That includes mental aspects too, things you simply need to know. It goes down better when it comes from an experienced coach and not just from the parents. And of course we prepare them technically and athletically for the demands, so that they are properly fit and clearly better on the ball.’
Nic Keller, co-founder of 360Football
Want to work specifically towards the trials or keep going after a ‘no’? In personal training with 360Football, our coaches assess where your child stands and work on exactly the things that matter at trials. One-to-one or in small groups, at 16 locations. After the taster session, you’ll receive a personal assessment.
FAQ: Footeco
What do FE-12, FE-13 and FE-14 mean?
FE stands for Footeco, and the number for the age group (U-12, U-13, U-14). In 2026/27, that means children born in 2015, 2014 and 2013.
Can I register my child for Footeco myself?
No. The nomination for the trials is always made by the home club, in consultation with the parents. So talk to the coach or the club’s youth coordinator.
How much does Footeco cost?
In the Zurich region, around CHF 600–800 training fee plus CHF 400–500 for kit. Travel comes on top. The lead club will tell you the exact amounts and how to pay.
When are the Footeco trials?
In the Zurich region, in spring (roughly mid-March to mid-May), for children in the older E-junior year group. From FE-12 onwards, there are follow-up trials every six months.
Is there Footeco for girls too?
Yes. Girls can also be nominated; in the Zurich region, the next FE-12 trials are open to girls born in 2015 and 2016. There are also regional girls’ selection teams.
Does my child stay at their own club?
The player licence stays with the home club; there is no transfer. Whether and how often your child also plays for the home club alongside Footeco is best clarified directly with the lead club.
Is Footeco worth it?
Usually yes, as long as the motivation comes from the child and they keep their enjoyment and self-confidence. If the journey is very long or the local team is currently playing at a similar level, you can also switch a little later.
What happens after FE-14?
The best players move up into the lead clubs’ elite youth football (U-15 and older). Everyone else continues to play at their home club. The path to professional football remains open later on, too.
Sources: Swiss Football League: Footeco · FVRZ: Footeco · FVRZ: Wichtige Informationen Footeco ZH 2026/27 (key information, PDF) · FVRZ: Der Footeco-Weg 2026/27 (the Footeco pathway, PDF) · FC Oberwinterthur: Das Footeco-Programm kurz erklärt (the Footeco programme in brief). All sources in German. Last updated: October 2026. Figures on costs and training days apply to the Zurich region.
