iLOT Bet has never stopped impacting lives and making sure fans earn more even while learning. Football academies have become an essential part of modern football clubs. Apart from the glitz and glamour, the trophies and financial statements, the facilities, and architectural marvels, these academies have served as a saving grace for many clubs.
Taking a peek at the long list of academies around Europe, we have drawn up a list of the best football academies in each of Europe’s top five leagues, solely based on the talents and quality of players they have produced since the turn of the century.
Athletic Club (Spain)
Athletic Club remains the only European side solely reliant on talents from its academy, La Cantera, and the Basque region. Their current crop of first-team players consists of a minimum of 18 players from La Cantera, including Iker Muniain, Susaeta, and Inaki Williams – this excludes players who are from the Basque region in Spain. Laporte and Arrizabalaga trod a similar path in the past, before moving to another club in one of Europe’s top five leagues
Southampton (England)
Even before their Premier League promotion in the 2011-12 season, Southampton FC has been nothing short of sensational in regards to churning out exceptional talents. Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Chamberlain, Alderweireld, Shaw, Lallana, Rodriguez, James Ward-Prowse, and a host of other talents have come through the youth system of the club located in Hampshire in southern England.
Olympique Lyonnais (France)
France is one of the greatest footballing nations on earth, and it’s of little surprise that numerous clubs in the country boast reputable academies. Honorable mentions must be given to LOSC Lille, Stade Rennais FC, and Saint- Etienne, but the Lyon academy is arguably the best in French football. So much so that a sizable portion of players that came through the academy are currently featuring in the squad (Lopes, Aouar and Cherki, and club captain Alexander Lacazette).
Atalanta BC (Italy)
The side from Bergamo has been one of many football revelations in Italy over the last decade. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side has translated the success of their first team into their academy. Valued at an estimated £221 million, the Zigonia Academy has been immensely beneficial for Atalanta and Italian football on a large scale. Shaping the future of Italian football, the Zignonia has produced talents including Tacchinardi and clinical finisher Giampaolo Pazzini over time.
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a strong record of producing top talent with Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz being amongst the most recent success stories. Players like Gonzalo Castro, Danny da Costa, Dominik Kohr, and Bastian Ozcipka all came through the ranks of the £213 million valued academy. In the recent past, the club has had the likes of Toni Kroos, Arturo Vidal, Kevin Kampl, Kramer, and Benjamin Henrichs spending developmental years in Leverkusen.
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