The tried and tested football academies

By Saoud Moussa Baccus

 
Photo by Kampus Production from Pexels
(downloaded on 2 February 2023).

 

In a world dominated by a handful of national football teams, success is often defined by turning back the calendar to many years ago, more precisely by how you developed your youth.

There are currently 143 French professional footballers plying their trade in Europe’s top four leagues: 34 in England, 41 in Germany, 31 in Spain and 37 in Italy.

In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 59 players were born in France: 22 played for France, 10 for Tunisia, 9 for Senegal, 8 for Cameroon, 4 for Ghana, 2 for Morocco, 1 each for Germany, Spain, Portugal and Qatar. Comparing the numbers with the 2018 FIFA World Cup, 50 players were born or raised in France. This is not a coincidence.

Of the last seven FIFA World Cups, from 1998 to 2022, France made it to the final four times, winning two convincingly and losing two on penalties. This was no fluke.

So, why do French players excel in football? The answer is to be found in France’s famed football academy! Young players with potential are scouted and sent to various football academies where they hone and develop their technical skills, and are taught how to succeed on the field.

 

So, why do French players excel in football? The answer is to be found in France’s famed football academy! 

 

Qatar didn’t waste any time recognizing the merits of football academies. They identified players in their early teens and brought them over to their Aspire Academy in Doha. Qatar’s national team in the 2022 World Cup boasted 10 foreign-born players who hailed from eight different countries. Should we now ask if there are intellectual rights in football, that we cannot copy another country’s successful model? No, there are no intellectual rights in football models. If a system works, you copy it, adapt it to your needs and make it better. If the Saudis want to be on the world stage of football, they will need a network of scouts to identify the talented and their development in their academy. No two ways about it.

True, strong roots bear the sweetest fruits. Truer, strong academies churn out great players. Truest, it is a system that has proved its mettle.





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