Issue number 166 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks European teams according to the average age of line-ups fielded in domestic league matches since July 1st 2016. Danish side Nordsjælland heads the table at the level of 31 top division European leagues (22.1 years), while Toulouse tops the big-5 league rankings (23.4 years).

Based in Farum, 20 km from Copenhagen, Nordsjælland was recently bought by a group of investors also involved in the running of a football academy in Ghana, Right to Dream. They are currently ranked 8th in the Danish Superliga. In the top three of the European rankings also are Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) and Senica (SVK).

In the top eleven positions of the big-5 league rankings are only French and German clubs. Among them notably are the two clubs currently heading the Ligue 1 and Bundesliga tables: OGC Nice (2nd) and RB Leipzig (4th). The youngest Italian team, Milan AC, is 12th. Two English Premier League clubs are in the top 20 positions of the rankings: Tottenham (15th) and Liverpool (18th).

Henceforth, the rankings will be updated every month by taking into account domestic league matches played during the six previous months. The data for the 100 top-ranked clubs at European level and the figures for all big-5 league teams are already available on the CIES Football Observatory website. Please spread the word!

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Issue number 165 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post analyses the stability of squads in 31 top division leagues of UEFA member associations. The championships surveyed are compared according to the percentage of players who joined the first team squad of their employer team after January 1st 2016.

The record high for new players per club was recorded in Bulgaria: 64% of squad members. At the opposite end of the table, the Austrian top division is the only league where the proportion of players present in the first team squad since less than one year is lower than one third: 31%. At big-5 league level, the figures vary between 36% in Germany and 45% in both Spain and Italy.

Southern and Eastern European leagues are over-represented among those with the most unstable squads. In eleven championships, more than half of players joined the first team squad of their employer club since less than one year. Among these leagues notably are the Portuguese (56% of new players) and Turkish ones (53%).

See also Monthly Report n° 19, Demographic Study of football in Europe

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The presence of club-trained footballers greatly varies throughout Europe. Issue number 164 of the CIES Football Observatory Weekly Post ranks 31 top division championships of UEFA member associations according to the percentage of club-trained players in squads.

In three countries, footballers who have been for at least three seasons between 15 and 21 years of age in their employer club account for less than 10% of squad members: Turkey (6.9%), Portugal (9.6%) and Cyprus (9.6%). At the opposite end of the table, the percentage of club-trained players is over 30% in Slovakia (31.5%) and Ukraine (30.6%).

The lowest proportion among big-5 leagues was recorded in the English Premier League: 10.0%. Since 2012, this percentage has steadily decreased to reach a record low in the current season. Conversely, in the Spanish Liga, club-trained footballers account for almost one quarter of squads: 24.1%. The multiple trophies won by Spanish clubs in European club competitions suggest that the ability to field top level players from the youth academy provides a competitive advantage over rivals.

See also Monthly Report n° 19, Demographic Study of football in Europe

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The annual census carried out since 2009 by the CIES Football Observatory on the profile of players active in 31 top division leagues of UEFA member associations confirms the decrease in the presence of club-trained players, the increase in that of expatriates and the growing squad instability throughout Europe. The main findings are presented in the 19th edition of the Monthly Report.

The study notably shows that the presence of club-trained players continues to decrease: from 23.0% in 2009 to 19.2% in 2016. This is the lowest value ever measured. In parallel, the level of expatriates has reached a new record in 2016: 38.7% (+3.9% since 2009). For the first time since our survey has been carried out, the percentage of expatriates is over twice that of club-trained players.

The greater international mobility of players brings with it a growing instability in squads. The average number of players recruited during the year among those present on the 1st October has increased from 9.1 in 2009 (36.7% of squads) to 10.7 in 2016 (43.9%). This is also a new record. The average length of stay of players in their employer club has never been as low as in 2016: 2.2 years.

The sample is made up of footballers present on the 1st October having played in domestic league matches during the current season or having taken part in adult championships during each of the two preceding ones. Second and third goalkeepers are taken into account even though they do not meet these criteria.

For more information, please contact us at football.observatory@cies.ch

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La Lettre hebdomadaire n° 163 de l’Observatoire du football CIES présente le classement annuel des clubs ayant formé le plus de joueurs. Real Madrid est en tête du classement pour les footballeurs du big-5. Aux deux premières places l’an passé, Barcelone et l’Olympique Lyonnais rétrogradent. Ajax a formé le plus de joueurs évoluant dans 31 championnats de première division européens.

En accord avec la définition de l’UEFA, les clubs formateurs des joueurs sont ceux qui les ont entraînés pendant au moins trois saisons entre l’âge de 15 et 21 ans. Les classements prennent en compte les footballeurs dans l’effectif de la première équipe ayant joué en championnat jusqu’au 1er octobre de la saison en cours ou ayant disputé des rencontres dans des championnats adultes lors de chacune des deux saisons précédentes.

Club formateur de 41 joueurs actuellement dans le big-5, Real Madrid devance Barcelone (37) et Manchester United (34). Trois clubs français sont présents dans le top 10 : Lyon (29), Monaco (22) et Rennes (22). Ajax est premier au niveau des joueurs actifs dans 31 championnats de première division européens. Le club néerlandais devance le leader de 2015 Partizan Belgrade et Dinamo Zagreb.

Les classements 2016

Classement 2015 pour les joueurs du big-5

Classement 2015 pour 31 ligues de première division européennes

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