11 Questions with Domagoj Kostanjšak

The pursuit of wisdom in any walk of life quickly reveals that what you think you know is not nearly enough to get you to where you want to go. As I'm starting out in my football scouting journey I challenged myself to reach out to those already working in various roles in football to answer a short list of questions. My goal wasn't to get answers but relevant perspectives on the game within the game.

Here is Domagoj Kostanjšak:

How did your first opportunity in football come about?

Initially, I would never have dreamt of ever having the opportunity to do what I'm

doing right now on such a high level. My first football gig was writing short news for

a Croatian sports outlet called SportArena.

Basically, it was supposed to be a side gig for me while I was still in college. I always

loved sports, football in particular, so I answered the ad when they were looking for

new people. After a while, I decided I had to get on Twitter (like all respectable sports

journalists, right?) and it was there that I first saw this company called “Ronnie Dog

Media” were looking for Barcelona analysts. I contacted Chris, sent over some of my

work and the rest, as they say, is history.

What attracted you to scouting/analytics? What’s more intriguing now names or numbers?

I always felt like there was much more to watching sports than it meets the eye.

Slowly but surely, as I started writing for Total Football Analysis, I started paying

attention to all kinds of different things that occur in a game of football.

It’s difficult to say what’s more exciting between names and numbers because

nowadays, I find that a newly discovered gem in a third league brings me more

excitement than a huge name grabbing the headlines. But numbers are such a big

factor in that because data allows us to find those hidden gems in the first place. It’s

really a mix of both, if we’re being completely honest!

What player or concept you fascinates you? What caught your eye?

As a Barcelona fan, I’m still in love with their golden generation and the style of

football that squad introduced to the world. Nowadays, many young and aspiring

coaches are looking likely to once again bring huge innovations into the beautiful

game but it was Pep’s positional play and that of Marcelo Bielsa that really made me

start thinking about all those concepts in the first place. Of course, as Pep would say, it

all started with Cruyff and he was merely adding to his philosophy but I’m far too

young to be talking about Cruyff, even though I’ve read books and books on the man,

so I’ll stick with Guardiola.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve found in this space?

Well, I’d say that people in general are not really sure how to properly use statistics

and data. So it might not be a misconception per se but surely something that you end

up having a completely new understanding of and something that changes entirely the

more you learn about it.

If you could start over what skill would you build on first?

If I could start over I would definitely expand my repertoire right from the start. I’m a

massive Barcelona and La Liga fan and I was focusing on that team/ league way too

much (and still am!) when I could’ve branched out a bit and increased my knowledge

on all fronts. Tunnel vision is not the greatest thing out there, is it?

What is more important player development or recruitment? Why?

Player development or recruitment? Wow, a tough one. Depends on how strong your

academy is, I guess. As a Barcelona fan, naturally I’m a firm believer in player

development, which should be the goal of every aspiring coach.

However, recruitment is an art in itself and something I have a newfound respect for

now that I’m more familiar with the whole process. A great scout or a recruitment

team can be invaluable for every club, regardless of the level they play at.

What is your favorite sports moment? Why?

Barcelona’s Champions League final win over Arsenal under Frank Rijkaard. I was

still a kid back then and staying up late to see the game and then going to school the

next day pumped to talk it through with my friends is something I’ll never forget. It’s

the little things, I guess!

What coach/player/team inspires you? Why?

It’s difficult to pick just one, I think. Nowadays, young coaches/ analysts who are

clawing their way up the ladder are certainly an inspiration for me and with Barcelona

having such a big impact on me since an early age, it’s difficult not to mention them in

here somewhere.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into this space?

Read a lot and watch even more football! There are so many great books, articles,

analyses and even interviews that will absolutely open your eyes and you will

suddenly see football/ sports through a different pair of eyes.

Then, go ahead and watch all the football you can watch, always making notes, always

observing the full picture. Trust me, you’ll never look at the ball-carrier ever again.

Who is your favorite athlete? Why?

Carles Puyol always was and always will be my all-time favourite player! I just loved

his commitment to the badge, passion and in-game intelligence. I guess it also helped

that once rocked long, curly hair, just like his! Not the ideal player to model your

looks after, I know, but who cares!

What is your favorite quote or saying?

I just love this one from Pep: “We do not pass to move the ball, we pass to move the

opposition”. It tells you everything about positional play, tactics and all the whys,

hows and whens in football. Of course, there are many more and it feels so predictable

that I would choose one from Guardiola but let’s go with that one!