The CDL Method

The CDL Method is the training methodology of the C.D. Leganés International Academy, a LaLiga club. It’s based on a game model that works on the 5 phases —attack, defense, offensive transition, defensive transition, and set pieces—, individual objectives by position, a weekly work system called Train to Thrive, and data tracking through GPS and video analysis. Methodological direction is handled by Faissal Chehade Chehade, International Methodology Director and UEFA Pro coach, under the supervision of Karim Askoul, Director of the International Academy, also UEFA Pro.

A school teaches soccer. A club teaches you to play its soccer. The difference isn’t in the hours on the field, but in whether there’s a game idea behind those hours and someone to lead it. At the C.D. Leganés International Academy, the CDL Method is led by Faissal Chehade Chehade, Director of International Methodology and UEFA Pro coach, under the supervision of Karim Askoul, Director of the International Academy, also UEFA Pro. Training takes place at the club’s facilities, the Estadio Anexo Jesús Polo and I.D. Butarque, and players under 16 are integrated into C.D. Leganés youth teams. An international player doesn’t enter a separate program created just for them: they join the club.

The teams at the International Academy train 4 to 5 times a week, with one day off. These sessions include a video analysis session and a gym session, at no extra cost. This is a typical week: the exact schedule depends on the microcycle of each week, the matches, and club events. Players under 16 join the youth teams of C.D. Leganés and follow the schedule of their age group. The women's teams have their own planning.

The 5 phases of the game are offense, defense, offensive transition, defensive transition, and set pieces. The CDL Method defines which actions correspond to each area of the field in each phase, and the player keeps the creative freedom to make decisions within that framework. A phase isn’t trained in isolation: the player understands where the ball is, what just happened, and what is expected of them at that moment in the game.

With data, not impressions. When you arrive, a starting point and individual goals are set for each position. Every session is recorded: physical load with GPS, gameplay with VEO camera, and Eyeball analysis. What was said in September is reviewed in June. The result is an individual report with 4 sections: physical, technical, tactical, and mental, built with data from the entire stay. The player can request it at the end, and once issued, it’s theirs and never expires. An opinion about a player that isn’t based on data is just an opinion. And career decisions aren’t made based on an opinion.

Each session is recorded with GPS devices and a VEO video camera. The technical-tactical analysis is done using the Eyeball platform. The data is compiled into an individual progress report with 4 sections: physical, technical, tactical, and mental. The report is the same for all programs at the International Academy: Elite Intensive, Performance Year, and Academic Year.

Six habits that define the club's work standard: hard work, patience, consistency, self-discipline, positive attitude, and focus. Underneath that, three values: humility, excellence, and respect. They're not a poster in the locker room. They are the criteria used to correct a player when they make a mistake. A standard. A mindset. A team.

Yes. The CDL Method works in three dimensions together: thinking, action, and emotion. Thinking is developed with precise tactical explanations to encourage each player’s understanding of the game; action, with daily physical execution on the field and in the gym; emotion, by creating identity and a sense of belonging. The mental part is one of the four that make up the individual progression report.