The Spielverlagerung Academy is founded and hosted by Martin Rafelt, who is a co-owner of Spielverlagerung since 2011. He has done analysis for Thomas Tuchel and worked as an assistant coach for the U-19 and U-21 of Hajduk Split, as the Head of Analysis and Tactics at the Hajduk Academy (Youth-League-finalists 2022) and as an assistant coach in the U-19-Bundesliga for Preußen Münster .

He gave lectures at the Belgian, Austrian, Bavarian and the Dutch FAs, works with top-level players in individual analysis and as a tactical consultant for clubs. He also published a book about Jürgen Klopp and is a freelance writer for Der Spiegel.

On Transfermarkt and Spox there can be found interviews. He discusses his football philosophy in The 3rd Circle with Jamie Hamilton and in his own podcast “Spielgeist”.

Spielverlagerung is a football tactics blog from Germany, analysing the game since 2011. A better description might be “football think-tank” since our main work takes place behind the scenes where we dissect the game together and search for improvements. Fellow Spielverlagerers work on the highest level of football, including René Marić (Bayern Munich), Adin Osmanbašić (Schalke 04), Judah Davies (Ipswich Town) or Eduard Schmidt (Southampton FC).