Signing young players: the success of european clubs
According to a report, 80 clubs spent a total of $ 3,980 million; using 64 percent in the purchase of players 24 years old or younger
Frenkie De Jong, during training with FC Barcelona. / Via REUTERS
Reuters | Brian Homewood
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Leer en español: Fichar jugadores jóvenes: el éxito de los clubes europeos
Clubs participating in the group stages of this season of the Champions League and the Europa League invested more than half of their signing expenses at the close of the summer market in players 24 years old or younger, according to a report from the UEFA European football organization published on Thursday.
The UEFA club competition report says that the 80 clubs spent a total of $ 3,980 million in the summer season and that 43 percent of the teams broke their own transfer records.
But instead of splurging on more experienced players, they spent 64 percent of that money on players 24 years old or younger, and only 7 percent did so on those over 28.
Defenders and strikers accounted for 35 percent of spending, midfielders 25 percent and goalkeepers 5 percent, the report said.
Although the expense was high, the clubs were also dedicated to the sale of players, since the income from transfers amounted to an estimated total of 3.720 million euros.
Many clubs outside the big leagues, in countries like Switzerland, Portugal, and the Netherlands, now have a financial model based on the purchase of young players, the development of their talent and their sale to larger clubs several years later.
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UEFA said six clubs achieved net profits of more than 50 million euros in their summer signings.
The report also illustrates the disparity in purchasing power between clubs, as it states that clubs have spent amounts between 250,000 euros and 953 million euros to put together their current templates.
Other statistics show that Portugal has nine of the 80 coaches of these teams, a large number given the size and population of the country. They are followed by Spain with seven, Germany with six and Holland, Italy and France with five each. In the case of England, there are only two coaches.
Amsterdam Ajax, the current Dutch league champion, was the most prolific team with 3.5 goals per game, while the Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk had the most waterproof defense, with only 0.34 goals received per game.
