Inside Genk's academy: how Lucca Brughmans is producing '3D' goalkeepers for Liverpool, Chelsea and Europe's elite
The Athletic profiles Lucca Brughmans, the goalkeeping coach at KRC Genk's academy, whose training philosophy emphasises what he calls a '3D' goalkeeper — comfortable with feet, hands and in build-up phases. Several graduates of his programme have moved on to elite clubs, with recent examples including Mike Penders (linked to Chelsea) and others in the Liverpool sphere. The piece explores the methodology, the talent pathway, and why Brughmans' approach is gaining recognition across European football's development networks.
Read the full story at nytimes.comGoalkeeping development is often treated as a niche corner of football coaching, but stories like this one underline how modern shot-stoppers are now expected to function as outfield players in possession phases. Genk's reputation as a development hub already extends to outfield talent, and Brughmans' work suggests Belgium is becoming a meaningful pipeline for the next generation of ball-playing goalkeepers feeding the Premier League elite. For clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea, whose systems depend heavily on the keeper as a build-up hub, the strategic value of this kind of specialised coaching pathway is only set to grow.
Context added by Socc360, not by nytimes.com.
Data source: nytimes.com (via Socc360). Last updated .
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