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Academy 20 July 2021, 14:05

AS Monaco is (again) among the 5 best Youth Academies in France

AS Monaco is (again) among the 5 best Youth Academies in France
As has been the case for many years now, our Academy is among the top 5 ranked Youth Academies for professional French clubs, as published by the French Football Federation.

AS Monaco’s Youth Academy has its reward. As they do every year, the French Football Federation has published a ranking of professional clubs’ Youth Academies. As announced on Monday, our Academy is – just as it was last season – among those with top rating, gaining 4 out of 5 stars and tied with Paris Saint-Germain, Stade Rennais, Olympique Lyonnais and Toulouse.

Youth players a force to be reckoned with in the first team

This solid position in the ranking is testament to the very good season achieved by players that were formed at the Club and their importance to Niko Kovac and his staff last season. Benoît Badiashile, for example, was one of the most used players in Ligue 1, with the third longest playing time (2,871 minutes played).

While the centre-back had plenty of playing time, four other Academy members (Chrislain Matsima, Giulian Biancone, Eliot Matazo and Enzo Millot) also took part in matches. Indeed, AS Monaco is one of the teams that most promotes its young players, with 22 professional contracts symbolising great confidence.

Academic focus also rewarded

This was seen again last Saturday during the friendly against Royal Antwerp, with Maghnes Akliouche and Félix Lemarechal enjoying their first professional minutes. Like 13 of his other teammates, the latter has just received his high school diploma, proof that the education system supervised by Virginie Gollino is a pillar of training.

While the current crop of youth players from the Academy continue to shine with AS Monaco, others who have advanced through the system are making waves abroad or at different French clubs. We can think of Kylian Mbappé, for example, top scorer in Ligue 1 last season or Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, an essential asset to Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid. In total, there are 19 Academy players currently plying their trade in Europe’s Big 5 leagues, with 5 of those clubs participating in the Champions League. Further proof of the quality of the Monegasque Youth Academy.

What are the criteria ?

This ranking is organised according to five areas of efficiency:
– Number of professional contracts signed by youth players formed at the Club
– Playing time in the first team by players formed at the Club
– Number of international players produced by the Club
– Number of high school diplomas obtained by players formed at the Club
– Number of Club-formed players playing in a foreign championship