# Youth Development & Academies · Football Level 7: Upper-Advanced

Football · Level 7: Upper-Advanced · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/football/level-7/youth-development-academies/)

Youth Development & Academies in Football (Level 7: Upper-Advanced) on Insporta: 100 sourced facts behind 10 tests. Covers: the eppp and academy categ.

How players are made: England's academy system, La Masia, Ajax, national centres, homegrown rules, the relative age effect, loans, scholarships, academy-built champions and the long drop-off to the first team.

## Test 1: The EPPP and academy categories

- The EPPP, agreed in 2011, replaced the old academy system from the 2012-13 season. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Compensation moved to a set scale, which smaller clubs said let the biggest academies recruit their best boys cheaply. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- The Belgian company assesses staff, facilities and processes, and the results decide each academy's category. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Categories rest on what the academy provides, not on how the first team is doing. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Staff, facilities and coaching hours for the top categories are expensive, and few graduates reach the first team. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- The plan set out to raise the quality and number of players coming through English academies. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- The top category brings the most contact time, specialist staff and funding, which shows in results. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Foundation runs up to under-11, Youth Development from under-12 to under-16, and Professional Development from under-17 to under-21. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- The audit comes first, and money from the league depends on the category granted. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Category One academies get the most league funding and must provide the most coaching hours and staff. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)

## Test 2: La Masia

- The new residence opened at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, next to the first team's training ground. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Director Carles Rexach signed the napkin in a restaurant to show the family the club was serious. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Fàbregas joined Arsenal and Piqué Manchester United at 16 and 17, and both came back to win trophies with Barça. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Unlike many team-mates, Pedri did not come through La Masia; he was signed from Las Palmas at 17. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Messi had a hormone deficiency that his family could not afford to treat; the club took on the cost. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- A shared model means a player promoted at 18 already knows the positions and patterns the first team uses. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Valdés came through the academy and kept goal in all three finals before leaving in 2014. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The napkin came in 2000, his debut in 2004, his first final goal in 2009, and he left in 2021. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Montoya's arrival completed an eleven made up entirely of La Masia products, a first for the club. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Tito Vilanova's side finished the match with eleven academy graduates on the pitch at once. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))

## Test 3: Ajax and De Toekomst

- The name sums up the club's long reliance on its own young players. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- De Ligt became Ajax's youngest captain and joined Juventus that summer. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Transfer income from academy graduates funds the club and the next generation. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Cruyff argued the academy had lost its way; ex-players such as Bergkamp and Jonk took over the youth set-up. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Decision-making and understanding are prized because they separate players when physical gaps close. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- A graduate stepping up already knows the positions and movements expected of him. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The Eredivisie cannot match English, Spanish or Italian wages, so Ajax sells at the peak of value. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Cruyff debuted in 1964, Van Basten in 1982, Seedorf in 1992 and De Ligt in 2016. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The acronym lists the four qualities Ajax scouts look for in a young player. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Technique, Insight, Personality and Speed: character is judged alongside ability. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))

## Test 4: Clairefontaine and national centres

- The Institut National du Football became the model for national academies across Europe. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- It takes promising boys from the Paris region for two years before they join club academies. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Mbappé spent two years there before joining Monaco's academy. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The FA's centre in Burton upon Trent hosts all England teams and much of its coach education. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Compulsory academies and hundreds of regional talent bases were at the heart of the German reform. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Heated indoor halls and a high number of UEFA-licensed coaches for a small population were widely credited. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The centre adds coaching at key ages; the professional pathway still runs through club academies. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Clairefontaine opened in 1988, St George's Park in 2012 and the DFB-Campus in 2022. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The 2014 winners were largely the first generation of the reformed system. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Sablon's plan produced the generation of Hazard, De Bruyne and Lukaku. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))

## Test 5: Homegrown rules

- Nationality does not matter; what counts is where he was registered and trained before turning 21. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Joining Arsenal at 16 meant he met the training rule, whatever his nationality. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Of the eight, at least four must be trained by the club itself; the rest may come from other clubs in the same country. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The EU exception to FIFA's rules on minors no longer applies to British clubs, so they must wait until 18. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The rules push clubs to invest in training rather than buying a whole squad. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- A player signed at 16 from abroad counts as homegrown by 19, which is not what many supporters imagine. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The squad can still hold 17 non-homegrown players, but the remaining places can only go to homegrown players. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Three seasons of registration before 21 is all it takes, whatever his nationality. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- UEFA's rule began in 2006-07, the Premier League's in 2010-11, and the Brexit change in 2021. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Up to 17 places may go to non-homegrown players; the other eight need homegrown players or stay empty. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))

## Test 6: The relative age effect

- Boys born just after the cut-off are the oldest in their age group, and often the most physically developed. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- The pattern appeared in almost every country and youth age group studied. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- Players of similar biological maturity play together for some matches, so early developers do not dominate. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- Some studies find relatively young players who survive selection outperform later; others do not, so it remains debated. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- An 11-month head start matters hugely at 12 and very little at 25. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- Selecting on present size rather than future ability loses players who would have caught up. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- Some scouts note birth quarters or compare players with others of the same age in months. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- With a 1 September cut-off, the pattern runs down from the autumn to the summer-born, the youngest in the year. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- The bands are temporary; they give early and late developers a different kind of challenge. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- Players born early in the selection year are over-represented because they are older and often bigger. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))

## Test 7: The loan pathway

- The limit targets clubs stockpiling players; players aged 21 or under and players trained at the club can still be loaned freely. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- At times Chelsea had around 40 players on loan, a model that FIFA's later limits were designed to curb. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- He went to Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester before breaking through at Spurs in 2014. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Recall clauses, often usable in January, protect the parent club if the loan is not working. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Such deals spread the cost of a transfer and become permanent once agreed targets are reached. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The limit stops clubs filling their sides with borrowed players from above. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- A loan is only as good as the playing time; a spell on the bench can set a player back. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Kane went to Orient in 2011, Millwall in 2012, Norwich for 2012-13 and Leicester later that season. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The best loans are planned around playing time and followed closely by the parent club. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The cap started at eight in 2022-23, fell to seven, and settled at six from 2024-25. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))

## Test 8: Scholarships and the first contract

- The two-year scholarship combines full-time football with education after the player leaves school. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The limit protects minors from long commitments before they are adults. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Scholars can be offered professional terms from their 17th birthday. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The rule protects minors, with narrow exceptions such as a family moving for reasons unconnected to football. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- If the family moved for work or other non-football reasons, the transfer may be allowed. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- The great majority are released, so qualifications give them a future outside football. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Cases of children taken abroad on false promises led FIFA to restrict international moves of minors. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Each step is a selection point, and most players leave the pathway before the last one. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- Scholarships start at 16, professional contracts at 17, and contracts longer than three years only from 18. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))
- FIFA found Barcelona had breached the rules on international transfers of minors; the ban covered two windows. (Source: Competition and FIFA regulations (Premier League Handbook, UEFA, FIFA RSTP))

## Test 9: Academy graduates who won the biggest trophies

- Giggs, Beckham, Butt and Gary Neville were in the side; Scholes and Phil Neville followed close behind. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Butragueño, Míchel, Sanchís, Martín Vázquez and Pardeza came through together and Madrid won La Liga from 1986 to 1990. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Athletic's policy makes its academy, Lezama, the only real source of players. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Lahm joined Bayern as a boy and led the team to the league, cup and Champions League in 2012-13. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Puyol came through La Masia and captained the side in both finals. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- United lost that day but won the double that season with the Class of '92 at its heart. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Money makes buying the quicker route to trophies, so a champion side full of graduates stands out. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Celtic won in 1967, the Class of '92 in 1992, Puyol's second Champions League in 2009 and Bayern's treble in 2013. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The Youth Cup came in 1992, Hansen's remark and the double in 1995-96, and the treble in 1999. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- The Lisbon Lions, built almost entirely from local players, beat Inter 2-1 in the final. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))

## Test 10: From youth football to the first team: the drop-off

- Estimates vary, but all agree that only a very small fraction reach the top flight. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Released at 16, he rebuilt his career in non-league football before joining Leicester in 2012. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- A first team has a handful of places, often filled by expensive signings the club wants to play. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Being released at 18 can hit a young player's mental health and finances; support helps him find a new path. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Years of good coaching make them attractive to clubs further down the pyramid or overseas. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Tracking how many move from scholar to professional, and on to the first team, shows where players fall away. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Smaller, later-maturing boys are often released before they catch up, which is why some reach the top by other routes. (Source: Relative age effect research (Helsen et al. 2005; later reviews))
- He played for Stocksbridge until 2010, then Halifax, Fleetwood, and joined Leicester in 2012. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))
- Each stage keeps only a fraction of the one before, which is the academy drop-off in numbers. (Source: Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) documents)
- Wright joined Crystal Palace at 21 and went on to become Arsenal's record scorer at the time. (Source: Club histories and match reports (BBC Sport, UEFA, club statements))

Sources: IFAB Laws of the Game / FIFA & UEFA regulations and technical reports / Opta & StatsBomb definitions / coaching literature / peer-reviewed research

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