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Ligue 1: Football’s Youth Academy

Ligue 1 is described as a ‘farmer’s league’ by many across Europe. In other words, the football quality is so low that non-professionals could easily match it. However, evidence suggests otherwise: it is in fact football’s proving ground for young talent.

A recent survey by the CIES Football Observatory found that, of 31 top European Divisions studied, “The French Ligue 1 is the only big-five league where footballers are younger than the average [age] measured.”

Furthermore, using OPTA statistics, CIES rates every big-five league player on a scale of 0-100. Over the last six months, among the top 252 players in all five leagues, 93 are currently playing, or have played, in Ligue 1. The results show that nearly 40% of Europe’s top have relied on the French top division for their development.

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Both surveys suggest that, because French clubs are willing to give young players much more game time, players are able to develop faster under their supervision than in a rival league.

Take the Real Madrid Eduardo Camavinga, for example. By 18, he had already made 71 league appearances for Rennes. While this would be unheard of in the Premier League, it is relatively common in France. This season alone, six players under the age of 19 have started in the league, and nine players under the age of 20 have found the back of the net.

So why, then, do so many around Europe discredit the competition? Well, that’s simple.

PSG’s Dominance

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Since the 2011-12 season, there have only been four different champions, with Paris Saint-Germain winning eight titles out of 11. PSG’s success feeds into the narrative that many French sides are not up to scratch because, during this period of unrivalled success, the Parisians managed to accrue over 90 points three times. Furthermore, the only occasion a French side has won a major European title was when PSG won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1995-96 season.

However, this does not tell the whole story. PSG are the second richest football club in the world. A fact that means they’ve had the third highest gross transfer spend since 2012, at an enormous €1.445 billion, according to CEIS. This makes it impossible for most Ligue 1 teams to compete for the title as they simply do not have the revenue to compete.

It must be recoginsed that, just because PSG will win the league most years, does not mean the competition has no value. After all, Manchester City have won four of the last five Premier League titles, and most in England would say it is the best league in the world.

The European stage is where French clubs are often most criticised. Yet, the reason for their poor performance is reflects the reason PSG have won Ligue 1 so many times. The monetary disparity between the top and bottom of the French topflight means it tends to be a selling league. Hence, clubs lower down the division lose their best talent, meaning they just can’t consistently compete in European competitions.

What do transfers tell us about Ligue 1?

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With the exodus of young talent from across the league, the quality of youth development in Ligue 1 is displayed by recent transfer prices. For example, eight players under the age of 25 left Ligue 1 for a fee of more than £10 million this summer. These included the transfers of Aurélien Tchouameni for £72 million and Lucas Paquetá for £38.66 million. Despite the supposed lack of talent in the league, Ligue 1 players tend to have high transfer values.

The Premier League also significantly dipped into the Ligue 1 talent pool this summer. Premier League sides have spent £179.6 million on players under the age of 25 from Ligue 1. This Includes Sven Botman and Cheick Doucoure, who have hit the ground running so far this season. Premier league boardrooms clearly admire the quality of players that have played in the French top-flight, and quite right too.

Ultimately, the competition will always have its detractors. Yet the talent germinating from Ligue 1 is only getting more impressive, and the football world is sitting up, and taking notice.

Author

  • Alexander Reed

    Alex Reed is a 22-year-old Football, Rugby and Combat Sports writer. He is the host of Sports Gazette's Champagne Football Podcast and a contributor to the World Cup Daily podcast.