Research group Football Observatory have released a report showing that the Amsterdam club have produced 69 players from their world renowned academy that are currently playing in the highest tier of a European League.
- By Harry Taylor
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Ajax’s youth academy has always been known to produce exceptional players over the years, developing notable players such as Johan Cruyff, Wesley Sneijer and Marco van Basten in the past to the new talents of Viktor Fischer,Davy Klaassen and Stefano Denswil of today. Ajax has always had an ethos to produce their own players and to be sustainable in order to compete with Europe’s best. This belief that the best way to succeed is by producing the best players yourself has lead Ajax to achieve 32 Eredivisie titles and 4 Champions League cups.
The report showed that the Dutch giants produced 69 players that are playing in one of Europe’s highest tiered leagues at this current time, 12 of those 69 are apart of the present-day squad. Narrowly behind them in 2nd place with 66 players was Partizan Belgrade and then in third place with 61 players was the Catalonia team FC Barcelona. Barcelona being 3rd on the list is not surprising as they have followed Ajax’s tradition of producing young players since Michels and Cruyff moved over their in the 70’s.
Last year Ajax also produced more players than any other team playing in Europe’s top leagues and this is a title they shall wish to claim for years to come.
Also on the list tied in 10th place with Dynamo Kviv was Feyenoord Rotterdam with 44 players. This is an achievement for Koeman and his background staff to be proud of as they have worked hard and put a lot of money to transfer their previous academy into the Varkenoord of today, which is an innovate new complex that looks to produce the country’s biggest talents for years to come.
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