ISM – International Scouting Center & International Soccer Academy
ISM International Scouting Center is an international football scouting center and soccer academy in Italy created to identify, develop and support talented young football players from around the world. Based in Perugia, Italy, ISM combines football training, player development, international soccer scouting, academy programs and professional football connections to help players understand their level and explore realistic opportunities in the European game.
For international players and families, ISM Academy is more than a football academy in Europe. It is a structured environment where young footballers can train with qualified coaches, be evaluated by football professionals, play matches against Italian teams and enter a development pathway connected to a wider professional football scouting network.
Our story
The ISM project is built on 30 years of experience in Italian football. Its roots are connected to the work carried out by it’s managers within the A.C. Perugia Youth Academy between 1998 and 2005, a period known for strong youth development, scouting organization and professional player growth.
During that time, the A.C. Perugia project included a wide national structure, with affiliated clubs, scouts and area managers working across Italy. This experience helped shape the vision behind ISM: to create a modern international scouting center where young football talent could be identified, trained, evaluated and guided with professional standards.
Since then, ISM has continued to develop its work through international collaborations, club relationships and football talent scouting in Italy. From 2010 to 2015, ISM cooperated with Empoli F.C. and represented the Italian club in scouting activities abroad. Over the years, ISM has also collaborated with several Italian and European professional clubs, prestigious academies, football agents, managers, scouts and UEFA coaches.
Today, the mission remains clear: identify promising football players, support their development and help them connect with the right football opportunities.
Successful players
Han Kwang Song: Cagliari Calcio, Juventus F.C.
Artem Onishchenko: A.C. Perugia
Choe Song Hyok: A.C.F. Fiorentina, S.S. Arezzo
Liran Rigen: A.C. Perugia, F.C. Fermana, Hapoel Beer Sheva, S.C. Kfar Qasem
Stephen Payne: Varzim S.C., Portimonense S.C.
Faissal Manai: U.S. Monastir, S.O.C. Cholet
Marcus Anderson: U.S. Salernitana 1919
Igor Zinkowski: U.S. Salernitana 1919
Partner clubs
US Salernitana
Frosinone Calcio
Cesena FC
AC Reggiana
SS Arezzo
AC Perugia
VIS Pesaro
AS Gubbio
Siena Calcio
Ascoli Calcio FC
ASD Pineto Calcio 1962
U.S Pianese
Casertana Football Club
Founded on experience gained by its managers from 1998 to 2005 at the A.C. Perugia Youth Academy, ISM has a proven track record of developing professional soccer players.
Back in 2005, the A.C. Perugia (Serie A) project included 138 affiliated clubs, a network of 80 scouts, and 20 area managers overseeing the entire national territory.
Renowned footballers such as Gennaro Gattuso (A.C. Milan), Marco Storari (Juventus F.C.), and Andrea Ranocchia (Internazionale F.C.) were developed during those years.
From 2010 to 2015, ISM cooperated with Empoli F.C. and represented the Italian club in scouting abroad. Since 2015, ISM has collaborated with several Italian and European professional clubs and prestigious academies, including A.C.F Sunderland, Valladolid C.F., Paolo Rossi Academy, A.C. Perugia, and its current technical partner US Salernitana 1919.
International football scouting and player development
ISM works at the intersection of international football scouting, player development and academy training. The goal is not only to find soccer talent, but to help players improve, understand their potential and prepare for the demands of professional and semi-professional football.
Through its programs, ISM Academy evaluates young players in technical, tactical, physical and mental areas. UEFA-licensed Coaches and scouts observe how players train, how they perform in matches, how they respond to pressure and how they adapt to Italian football methodology.
This approach makes ISM a soccer scouting center focused on both identification and development. Talent alone is not enough. Players need discipline, tactical intelligence, consistency, coachability and the right environment to grow.
For this reason, ISM offers structured academy programs that combine training, evaluation, match experience and scouting exposure. These programs help young players understand where they are today and what they need to improve to move forward.
Talent Identification Program (TIP)
Since 2022, ISM has become a player agency and, through collaboration with FIFA agents, Italian football agents, football managers, scouts, and UEFA coaches, has extended technical cooperation to several professional football clubs in Italy and Europe.
The Talent Identification Program (TIP) in Perugia serves as the development hub for promising football players. This structured program supports players with long-term development pathways, professional opportunities, and connections to clubs worldwide. Even after 25 years, ISM’s core mission remains the same: identifying the rarest football talents and helping them shine on and off the field.
The International Scouting Center in Perugia has become the Scouting Center and Home for development of promising football players, through the Talent Identification Program (TIP). This development program has supported ISM Player Agency work since 1997.
Services Offered
ISM’s experience allows us to offer the following services to soccer players:
- Promotion of young football players
- Career management of professional football players
- Representation for a country, region, or specific football association
- Assistance during contract negotiations and renegotiations
- Tax and financial planning
- Sponsorship management with several European professional clubs
Our staff and methodology
The ISM Academy technical staff includes qualified coaches, UEFA-licensed professionals, physical trainers, goalkeeper coaches and football experts with experience in Italy and abroad. Many members of the staff have played, coached or worked within professional football environments, giving players access to a serious and practical development culture.
The methodology is based on Italian football principles: tactical education, technical quality, physical preparation, match intelligence and individual growth. Training is designed to help players become more complete, not only more athletic or technically skilled.
Players are encouraged to understand the game, improve decision-making, develop positional awareness and perform with discipline during both training sessions and matches. This is especially important for international players who want to adapt to European football and compete in a more tactical environment.
Our Technical Staff
LUCIANO
Luciano Mancini is an expert Professional Coach with a more than 20-years professional coaching career. After starting with regional clubs, Luciano started coaching various Professional Clubs such as Grosseto, Robur Siena, A.C. Perugia, becoming in 2012 Manager of Gambia National Team.
Luciano also contributed a lot to perfecting A.C. Perugia International Project coaching method and formation of other Academy coaches. Owner of several prices recognized by Italian Coaches delegation.
GIORGIO
Physical trainer with degree in Sports Science. Giorgio holds UEFA A license and coached the youth academy of A.C. Perugia Calcio between 1996 and 2004.
During the last years Giorgio coached Orvietana calcio, Montegabbione Calcio and A.S.D San Sisto. Giorgio is also a personal trainer and speaks 4 languages beyond Italian: English, Spanish, Russian and Bulgarian
NUNO
Head Coach UEFA B
Portuguese Technical Director with a diploma in Sports Sciences, Nuno has more than 15 years of professional experience managing footballers in different countries around the world (Portugal, China, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Italy).
In recent seasons, he has worked in the U-19 team of Al Faisaly FC of the Saudi Arabian first division. In addition, he has managed senior squads in the Eccellenza division in Italy such as Matera CDS in Basilicata.
Currently, he is the technical coordinator of the ISM Academy where he puts into practice his strengths as a coach, which are both the training methodology and developing the talent of promising young people.
Nuno speaks fluently 3 languages: Portuguese, Italian and English.
RARES
Rares has a Sports Science degree and has the experience of playing in the youth teams of A.C. Perugia from 2005 to 2013. From 2013 he has been playing and coaching in different amateur and professional levels in Umbria.
Thanks to the experience gained by working with different goalkeeper coaches Rares is able to provide individualized and high quality trainings, also thanks to the constant updates on the requirements of the modern goalkeeper.
MARCO
Head Coach UEFA B
Marco is an ex-professional footballer with 10 years of experience playing at the professional footbal (betweem 2000 and 2010). Marco played at professional football clubs such as A.C. Perugia, U.S. Sambenedettese, Venezia F.C., A.C. Monza and S.S. Juve Stabia. Between 2010 and 2022 Marco played at amateur level in Umbria region.
Marco obtained his UEFA B license in 2008 in Coverciano and started his coaching career in 2022-2023 at ASD Ellera Calcio (Umbria). From season 2023-2024 Marco is the Head coach of U-19 squad.
Club partners and professional football network
A key strength of ISM is its football network. Over the years, ISM has built relationships with Italian and European clubs, academies, scouts, coaches, football agents and technical partners, creating a strong environment for football talent scouting in Italy and international player development. This network has connected ISM activities with important Italian football environments, including clubs such as AC Perugia, US Salernitana, Frosinone Calcio, Cesena FC, AC Reggiana, VIS Pesaro, AS Gubbio, Siena Calcio, Ascoli Calcio FC, ASD Pineto Calcio 1962, U.S. Pianese and Casertana Football Club, as well as other professional and semi-professional organizations.
ISM’s professional football scouting network helps create football club scouting opportunities for selected players, depending on their age, level, performance, attitude and development potential. These opportunities may include training experiences, try-outs, friendly matches, showcase matches, club evaluations or longer development pathways with Italian football clubs and partner environments.
It is important to be clear: no academy or scouting center can guarantee a professional contract. What ISM offers is a serious and structured environment where players can train, be assessed, gain exposure and receive guidance from experienced football professionals, while being connected to a real football network in Italy.
International experience
ISM welcomes players from different countries and football cultures. Young footballers from the USA, UK, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia and other regions can join programs in Italy to experience professional training, player evaluation and international soccer scouting.
This international environment helps players grow on and off the field. They learn to train in a new country, communicate with different teammates, adapt to different coaching styles and compete in a more demanding football context.
For families, ISM provides a structured way to explore soccer development abroad with professional support. For academies and teams, it offers training camps, tournaments and match experiences in Italy. For coaches, it provides access to Italian football methodology through dedicated education programs.
Our main soccer programs
ISM offers several programs designed for different goals and profiles:
Talent Identification Program (Residency Program)
A long-term soccer player development and talent identification program for young footballers who want structured training, assessment, performance reports and scouting opportunities in Italy.
Try-Out Italy
A football trial program for international players who want to train, play friendly matches and be evaluated by coaches, scouts and football experts.
Pre Season Training Camp
A soccer training camp in Italy for players, teams, academies, clubs and colleges looking for technical, tactical and physical preparation.
Professional Tournament
An international youth football tournament in Italy for U17 and U19 teams, academies and clubs seeking competitive match experience.
Pro Coaching Course
A football coaching course in Italy for international coaches who want to study Italian football methodology, tactical principles and youth academy training models.
If you love football and dream of becoming a professional player, join us.
Let your journey to become a pro soccer player start.
Start your football pathway in Italy
ISM International Scouting Center was created to help young footballers turn ambition into a structured development journey. Through international football scouting, professional coaching, club partnerships and academy programs, ISM supports players who want to train in Italy, improve their game and understand their possible pathway in football.
For players with talent, discipline and determination, Italy can be more than a destination. It can be the place where development becomes direction.
