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A world-class pro soccer academy requires coaches that meet the highest standards.
At MESA, we enlist the best UEFA-licensed professionals to support our athletes’ growth as complete, modern football players. Having a top-tier coaching staff is a core part of our philosophy: it is only through training under the best that our players can truly advance their game and sharpen their skills on and off the field.
Earlier this year, we eagerly welcomed Xavi Vazquez as our new Sporting Director.
His experience across coaching, player development, methodology and performance analysis is set to further strengthen our already premier MESA coaching staff. At our Spanish soccer academy, his level of expertise is crucial, as he leads an academy built around Spanish football, individual development, and Spanish Immersion.
Xavi’s twenty-year coaching journey began in Spain, where years spent working in high-performance academy environments shaped his understanding of youth development and the intricate Spanish game.
In 2018, he moved to Ireland to coach and manage Galway United’s youth academy teams. There, he’s also coached a number of clubs across County Galway including Knocknacarra FC, Craughwell United, Galway Bohemians, and Barna Furbo FC.
What caught our eye is his evident expertise of high-performance academy environments and the various stages of player development. Having coached players at the U4 level through to senior football, Xavi has a level of adaptability that is crucial at an academy like MESA, where players of different ages and nationalities go to Madrid seeking high-level training and growth.
In 2024, Xavi returned to Spain, joining Puente Genil FC as assistant manager and performance analyst. Founded in 1939, the historic Andalusian club currently competes in the Segunda Federación, and, with Xavi’s help, were Tercera Federación Group X Champions.
Xavi’s roots in Spanish football, sharpened by his experiences abroad, gives him a wider, more holistic view of the modern game. That combination is particularly relevant at MESA, where international players are tasked to adapt to Spanish football while continuing to develop their own identity and understanding of the game.
Vazquez emphasizes that because young players are constantly growing and evolving, an adaptable, confident mindset matters. He has emphasized giving players the freedom to experiment and learn from their decisions:
“Don’t punish a mistake. If you want to try something, try it.”
For a young player experiencing a new football environment, that reminder is crucial. Spanish Immersion can place players in situations they have not encountered before, and learning to make decisions in those moments is part of their development. The objective is not to dwell on every misstep, but to help players understand what those moments can teach them.
That approach fits naturally with MESA's individualized development model. Every player arrives with different experiences, strengths, and areas for improvement. Rather than expecting every player to follow the same path, development is shaped around the individual and the progress they need to make.
Another aspect of Vazquez's approach aligns with the MESA way: his use of performance analysis and data. For him, understanding development does not stop when the final whistle blows. The information gathered from training and competition can provide another perspective on what a player is doing well, where they can improve, and how coaches can help them take the next step.
That approach already has a place within MESA's environment. Video analysis, individual evaluation, physical testing and performance technology give coaches additional ways to understand their players and provide more focused feedback.
Vazquez's experience as a performance analyst adds another layer to that process. His focus on using data to support decision-making allows him to look beyond what happens in a single moment and consider what the information can reveal about a player's development. The data provides the evidence, but coaching is what turns that information into action.
Vazquez brings his experience of Spanish methodology, global football, youth development, and performance analysis to an academy where those same elements are central to the player experience. His journey through different football environments gives him a perspective that can help MESA continue connecting international players with the demands of Spanish football.
Through Spanish Football Immersion, players can experience that environment for themselves, while MESA's approach provides the structure to help them learn from it. Vazquez now becomes part of that process, bringing his experience to an academy focused on helping players adapt, develop and take the next step in their football journey.
His arrival marks another chapter for MESA, with Spanish football remaining at the heart of the academy's vision and world-class player development continuing to shape its future.
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