Only four percent of talented young players from soccer academies go on to play at the highest professional level, as a recent study has revealed.
In a study involving nearly 200 players aged 13 to 18, it was found that just six percent of these aspiring footballers manage to secure a spot in lower leagues.
The research conducted by the University of Essex highlighted that successful players demonstrated exceptional self-confidence, ball control, dribbling skills, and received positive technical assessments from their coaches.
This study was published in the International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching and focused on players in academy systems between 2009 and 2011, following their progress for a decade after their academy evaluations.
Dr. Jason Moran, from the School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences, analyzed elite academies in Madrid associated with two LaLiga teams over a 10-year period.
LaLiga is one of the most popular football leagues globally, featuring renowned teams like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villareal, and attracting an audience of 2.8 billion people.
This research aims to shed light on the impact and financial aspects of football academies, especially considering recent developments such as the closure and reopening of Brentford FC in the English Premier League.
Dr. Moran emphasized the need to reassess the role of modern football academies, given that the vast majority of teenage players do not progress to professional football despite undergoing rigorous training before eventually being deselected.
Moreover, the study revealed that none of the professional players were born in the last quarter of the year, indicating a potential bias against younger and less physically developed but technically proficient athletes.
Out of the 12 players who turned professional, seven reached the top tier of Spanish football during the decade, with five playing in the second-highest league and four pursuing careers abroad.
Past studies on Premier League academies have shown that only one percent of players under nine years old make it to the highest level of the sport.
