USA’is a pool that seems inexhaustible. Every year in French football, from Ligue 1 to the minor championships, we see the emergence of unashamedly talented players to play in the major leagues. Last season we saw Warren Zaire-Emery, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Désiré Doué and even Leny Yoro blossom.
Adaptation to any type of championship
For ten years, French football has benefited from its training to once again become a stronghold of international football, culminating in the 2018 coronation. For Enzo Djebali, educational director of Formation Football and former recruiter in Reims, the dynamic can be explained by the setbacks you encountered before becoming a professional. “Even if the French model is not optimal, it is effective because it is versatile: it allows young people to meet adults thanks to our reserves, who become stronger through intensity, but they can also assert themselves as U19 managers. French clubs are therefore used to using their young people for further training and bringing them to the first team. »
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And this famous versatility means French players can travel well. To date, there are 31 French in the Bundesliga, 28 in the Premier League, 27 in Serie A and 19 in La Liga. The Frenchman is less homesick than an Englishman or an Italian. “There is an increased modernity of French gaming profiles,” says Enzo Djebali. For example, Evan Ndicka (AS Roma) has the motor skills of a left back while being 1.92 meters tall, Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea) has the technical skills of a number 10 while having the off-the-ball game of a forward – Centre. » The two players mentioned have played in the Bundesliga. Germany, with concrete projects and a very open championship on the field, has thus become an essential step for young players from France to grow.
And to continue the analysis: the recruiter finds another factor in this French success and this variation in roles. “All this is thanks to a positive mix: our French cultural model brings a mix and this is then passed on to the French training model, which is effective. This cross that brings together the best of different cultures exists elsewhere and also brings modern players to the Netherlands, for example. »
“Île-de-France has passed the São Paulo region”
It is not just the professional world and its great transfers where the fashion for the young French player is clearly visible. More and more doors are opening in amateur clubs and their structures. For example, from U15 level onwards, the Red Bull group – which notably owns the teams in Leipzig and Salzburg – keeps a close eye on what happens on the Île-de-France site.
Footsider, an application launched at the beginning of this year by Ronaldinho and Yacine Brahimi, organizes detection days for these players from smaller teams, or sometimes failed by training centers. Sami Benchebana is responsible for recruiting for this structure and he defines Paris and its surroundings as a new Eldorado. “Amateur football has grown enormously in recent years. These young people are hungry to achieve their goals. Paris and its suburbs have become the most important breeding ground in the world today, we have passed Brazil and São Paulo. »
Without going through the traditional stages of professional clubs, these young people are entitled to a new chance. One of them was signed by Bologna, while another could be tested by Fiorentina. The young French player’s label is undeniably attractive. “The French player is at the forefront athletically,” Sami Benchebana continues. We have already seen that younger elements are dominant in teams with seniors. When you bring together elements with great potential, even if they fly under the radar, all this competition creates emulation and everyone succeeds. »
Young people are ready for any sacrifice
In addition to physical characteristics, it is also in the heads that these players stand out. In a sport that has become a world of sharks that forgives nothing, it takes a strong mind to bounce back, as Footsider’s recruiter explains. “All these young people are making enormous sacrifices. I am in contact with some of them, they are ready to give up everything, to take a last-minute ticket for a club in the outskirts of London, even for a team from the sixth division. We can say it: the young French player is hungry! »
READ ALSO What you need to know about Gonçalo Ramos, the new PSG strikerIf the results in the youth selections, such as the Espoirs or the U20 in recent weeks, are not always present, France can still count on individuals formatted for the high level for several years to come. “I now hope that the transition from Ligue 1 to 18 will not cause clubs to fear the youth, because in the medium and long term it is a win-win situation for the quality of the team and for their development. We have gold in our hands and sometimes emotion forces the executives to put copper on the floor,” concludes Enzo Djebali. All that remains is to wait for future generations to take over, always with overflowing ambition, regardless of their origins.
Halfway between LinkedIn and Tinder for football, Footsider is an application that aims to connect players without contracts or failed players from training centers with clubs, mainly by organizing detection days. Clubs therefore have free access to a database made available and can select the right profiles to put them to the test. On February 24, 115 players were observed by 45 clubs, including RC Lens and AS Monaco, during a scouting day in Paris.
