October 22: Benfica have topped a ranking of ‘training clubs’ that develop the most players through their academy to the professional game. The ranking index covers top-tier clubs from 49 leagues around the world.
Argentines River Plate, Boca Juniors and Vélez Sarsfield occupy the next three places ahead of fifth-placed Ajax. Barcelona is the best ranked in the Big 5 European League, sixth.
The top 10 also includes Portugal’s Sporting CP, Spain’s Real Madrid, Uruguay’s Defensor SC and Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda.
The rankings, produced annually by the CIES Football Observatory, define training clubs as the first teams in which footballers have played for at least three years between the seasons of their 15th and 21st birthdays (inclusive).
The index uses several factors in its algorithm: sports level of the matches, playing time and age of the player.
The authors of the report also highlight the clubs that have trained the most players currently employed by teams in the big five European leagues. Real Madrid (40 players) leads FC Barcelona (34), Manchester City (29), Stade Rennais (28), Paris Saint-Germain and AFC Ajax (both 27). Athletic Club (15) and Real Sociedad (14).
Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Fulham are the best clubs in the Premier League.
To see the full classification click here. https://football-observatory.com/Training-clubs-world-ranking
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