The European Championships have been a triumph for youth fooball in recent times

5 Ogos, 2016

On a night of few chances, flashes of individual brilliance interjected sporadically between tediously long periods of cautious play, along with lots and lots of Silver Y moths, the biggest and most prestigious football event of 2016 came to an end in Saint-Denis as underdogs Portugal, against the odds, sensationally upset the home side France in the decider to claim their first ever European Championship. Substitute ƒder scored the winner in the 19th minute of extra time, rifling a shot past Hugo Lloris into the bottom right corner of the French goal to hand Portugal a 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the match. Now that the curtains have drawn to a close on a month full of as much drama, heartbreak and euphoria as there was dullness and forgettable moments, the time has come for reflection, as we munch on how the Euros have, in recent times, been a success for youth football.

But hold on, this is a senior level tournament! How on earth is it related to youth?

Ludicrous as it seems, the answer is yes, youth football does have plenty to do with it, and who better than the newly crowned champions to attest to that. Out of the 14 players Fernando Santos fielded in the final, 10 of them came through the youth academy of Sporting Clube de Portugal at some point in their careers, a figure so astonishing that you could be forgiven for thinking that it was Sporting CP who won the match. Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Ricardo Quaresma, Jo‹o Moutinho, Jo‹o M‡rio, Adrien Silva, CŽdric Soares, William Carvalho, Rui Patr’cio and JosŽ Fonte are all alumni of an academy that has trained and developed world-class players, as well as 2 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year recipients in Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.


It's also worth noting that Renato Sanches, the youngest player in the squad, took home the Young Player of the Tournament award. Even though the Portuguese squad's average age of 28.4 did not put them as one of the younger sides in this tournament, Sanches, Rapha‘l Guerreiro, Soares, Carvalho and M‡rio are all below 25 years of age. They'll have plenty of years left with the national team, and considering the success of Sporting CP's academy this time round, the future looks bright for this Portugal team. They won't miss their star man Ronaldo when he calls it a day with the national team, that's for sure.


The success of a Portuguese club's world famous youth academy has contributed to the nation's success at Euro 2016, but youth has benefited more than just the champions. Germany, semi-finalists this time round and champions of the world 2 years ago, have also reaped the benefits that youth football has provided them. Following their Euro 2000 debacle, where they failed to make it out of the group stage, Die Mannschaft have become one of the strongest sides in world football. Thanks to their comprehensive youth system which has seen players like Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas MŸller, JŽr™me Boateng, Per Mertesacker, Manuel Neuer, Mesut …zil and Toni Kroos come through, the Germans conquered all before them to clinch the FIFA World Cup in 2014. Lahm, Mertesacker and Klose, each having amassed more than 100 caps, have since announced their retirement from international football, but Die Mannschaft have remained impressive nonetheless. Despite the loss of 3 key players, they still managed to reach the semi-finals this time, their 3rd straight semi-final at the Euros and 6th at a major tournament. Such an astonishing feat is surely down to the ability of their Ôtalent mill' to continuously produce world class players.

With an average age of 25.9, the German squad was one of the youngest sides in the tournament. Talented young players the likes of Leroy SanŽ, Joshua Kimmich, Julian Weigl, Jonathan Tah and Julian Draxler coming into the national team, coupled with Germany's ability to churn out talent after talent means Germany, perhaps even more so than Portugal, won't be missing their star men when they eventually hang up their boots.

The biggest beneficiaries, so to speak, of youth football would probably have to be Spain. Let's take a journey back in time to the 2008 edition of the Euros, where a Spain side led by Luis AragonŽs clinched the title. Four years later, fresh from winning the FIFA World Cup in South Africa 2 years earlier, La Roja beat Italy 4-0 in the final in Ukraine, becoming the first side in the history of the Euros to ever defend their title. Following their shambolic World Cup campaign 2 years after that, plus their round-of-16 exit this Euro, they definitely aren't the force they once were (in fact, they've fallen pretty far from the highs which, ironically, was set by their very own achievements), but winning 3 consecutive major tournaments is a feat that is nothing short of incredible. To win a tournament is one thing, to win the next and the one after that is a truly legendary accomplishment. Their legacy will be remembered for generations to come, no doubt.

Spain very greatly benefited from the youth setup of one of club football's biggest and most-feared sides in recent times. If ever there was a big club synonymous with youth football, it's none other than FC Barcelona. Towards the end of the past decade, the Blaugrana have firmly established themselves as one of the best clubs in the world, winning all 6 possible trophies in a calendar year. They're the only European team to have won the treble twice and in the past 8 seasons, they've won the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy 3 times. Better still, their world renowned youth academy, La Masia, has trained and developed some of the best players to have ever graced the beautiful game. Having produced players the likes of Josep Guardiola, Sergi Barju‡n, Xavi Hern‡ndez, Carles Puyol, Lu’s Garcia, Mikel Arteta, Victor ValdŽs, Pepe Reina, Thiago Motta, AndrŽs Iniesta, Gerard PiquŽ, Jordi Alba, Cesc Fˆbregas, Pedro, Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi, and even Sergi Roberto, Rafinha, and Munir El Haddadi, the academy is unquestionably one of the best in the world.


In stark contrast to their triumphant Euro 2008 squad, which had only 3 Barcelona players, the Blaugrana were represented by 8 and 7 players respectively in La Roja's 2010 World Cup squad and Euro 2012, more than any other club. No surprises then that their tiki-taka playing style had the Barcelona blueprint written all over it. In both the World Cup and Euro 2012 squads, Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets were all key cogs in La Roja's dynamic midfield. Puyol and PiquŽ were key to a fearsome defence that conceded only 2 goals in South Africa. Jordi Alba's blistering pace enabled him to support the attack as well as carry out his defensive duties. His performance in Euro 2012 established himself as a capable wingback. What a spectacular few years it was for Spain, and part of that success was undeniably due to the youth setup of one of their strongest clubs Ð FC Barcelona.

Youth is, undoubtedly and unquestionably, the way forward in football, and FC Bayern MŸnchen, Sporting CP and FC Barcelona, among countless others, have shown that this is so. They've shown that with proper care and guidance, one can make a world beater out of a young, aspiring player. They've shown that investment in youth brings with it significant financial and monetary gain. They've shown that the benefits of investment in youth are not just for themselves, but for all to share. And above all, they've shown that youth is the way forward.

Source - An analysis written by Beng Jin, Planet Bola.