Great enthusiasm at the VSS support centers.

VSS Support Center: What's actually behind it?

They are an important part of youth development in South Tyrolean football: the VSS training centers. But what exactly is behind them?

August 18, 2026

From: sn

“Our goal is to promote talented young players at the highest possible level without removing them from their familiar environment,” explains Lukas Gunsch, technical director of the Förderzentrum Mitte in Terlan.

Since 2013, the VSS football development centers have offered young footballers aged 10 to 13 in South Tyrol the opportunity to further develop their skills in a targeted manner. There, they can train once a week and, in addition to their club training, receive high-quality support from qualified coaches, while remaining an integral part of their home club.

The young talents of the development centers.

The development centers explicitly do not see themselves as competition for the clubs, but rather as a complementary offering. The young players can continue playing with their friends at their local clubs while simultaneously having the opportunity to specifically improve their football skills.

Overall, participants complete approximately 35 additional training sessions over the course of a year; around 300 children from all over South Tyrol take advantage of this offer annually.

Optimal learning conditions for young talent

Training sessions are always held on Monday afternoons at the three locations: Latsch (Western Support Center), Terlan (Central Support Center), and St. Lorenzen (Eastern Support Center). Lukas Gunsch will take over as technical director of the Central Support Center in September, succeeding Stefan Gasser.

“Smaller clubs in particular often face major challenges; it’s difficult to find good coaches or to form homogeneous performance groups during training,” explains Gunsch. This is where the development centers come in: High intensity, modern training methods, and age-appropriate training ensure optimal learning conditions. The additional training enables individualized support that is often difficult to implement in the day-to-day operations of a club.

The young footballers enthusiastically chase after the ball.

The training sessions are led by highly qualified coaches and adhere to modern standards. Sigi Pfeifhofer, technical director of the East Development Center, maintains close contact with TSG Hoffenheim, is a member of the Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Coaching Academy, and has observed training sessions at numerous professional clubs across Europe. This ensures that the latest training methods and current developments in youth football are incorporated into the work of the development centers.

A showdown with the professionals

In addition to regular training, the children also have the opportunity to showcase their skills at selected tournaments. Last year, a select team from the development centers, led by head coordinator Hans Daniel Fahrner, participated in the Cordial Cup in Passeier. The team won the tournament and thus qualified for the final in Kitzbühel. There, in June, the young South Tyrolean players faced youth teams from major professional clubs and gained valuable experience at the highest level.

Despite these special experiences, the focus of the development centers remains clearly on the training and development of young footballers. Applications for the 2026/27 season are still possible until the end of August. Final admission to the development centers will then take place after two tryouts in September.