Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy

On June 17, 1970, Paris Football Club and Stade Saint-Germain merged to form men's football team Paris Saint-Germain Football Club. It was made official on August 12, 1970, with the creation of the Association Paris Saint-Germain. This organization has managed the club's amateur section, including the academy, ever since then. It also ran the professional section until 1991.[1] So, like the club itself, the Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy was officially established on the same date.[2]

The first wave of graduates emerged in the 1972–73 season, the academy's largest class in its history. A total of ten players were promoted to the first team. Only the classes of 1975–76 and 1984–85 come close with nine and seven players, respectively. The 1972–73 class was made up of Éric Renaut, Patrice Zbinden, Claude Rivet, Patrice Turpin, Bernard Lambert, Michel Llodra, Thierry Coutard, Robin Leclerc, Richard Vanquelles and Kamel Ben Mustapha.[3] These players were part of the club's Reserve side that won the Coupe de Paris in 1971–72 and 1972–73. These were the academy's first titles ever. PSG won this cup again in 1979–80.[3][4] They would all went on to play at least one game for the first team, but it was Renaut who really succeeded, amassing 290 appearances during his decade at the club.[3][5]

On November, 4 1975, the club opened the academy's first centre, with Pierre Alonzo as its director. The maiden generation issued from this centre was led by François Brisson, Jean-Marc Pilorget, Lionel Justier and Thierry Morin. A few weeks after the inauguration, on December 21, 1975, PSG's so-called « four musketeers » made their professional debuts as starters against Stade de Reims in a match at Parc des Princes.[6] Brisson won an Olympic gold medal with the France in 1984, while Justier became a fan favorite at PSG. For his part, Pilorget remains to this day PSG's all-time record appearance maker with 435 official matches.[6] Finally, Morin played most of his career with PSG before being named director of the CFA Omnisports in 1994. Formed at the club's initiative, this organization is responsible for the education of the academy players. Morin presided it until 2018.[6][7] He is now the general secretary of the Association PSG.[1]

The late 1980s and early 1990s welcomed another bright generation of young players including Richard Dutruel, Jean-Claude Fernandes, Thomas Kokkinis, Roméo Calenda, Francis Llacer, Pascal Nouma and Bernard Allou. Before playing for the first team, they were part of the Men's Under 19 and Reserve sides that claimed the Championnat National des Cadets title and the Coupe Gambardella in 1987–88 and 1990–91, respectively.[4][8][9] The Men's Under 17 then won the Montaigu Tournament in 1993, while finishing runners-up in the Plougonvelin Tournament that same year. Already one of France's best youth systems, the PSG Academy were given the Best Youth Club award by the French Football Federation in 1988–89.[4]

Another great youth product was Luis Fernández. A big PSG fan, he made his debut in 1978, became team captain and led the club to its first major trophies in the 1980s. He then returned as coach during PSG's golden era in the 1990s, leading them to a cup double in 1995 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996.[10][11] Dutruel, Llacer, Nouma and Allou were all part of these victories. Jérôme Leroy, Pierre Ducrocq and Nicolas Anelka also made their first-team breakthroughs during that decade.[3] Anelka, however, was the pioneer of promising PSG talents signing for other European clubs due to the lack of game time. He signed for Arsenal in 1997 at the age of 17 for a really small fee. This would become a regular trend in the 2010s.[12][13]

The later half of the 1990s and the early 2000s were bittersweet; players kept reaching the first team, but only Sylvain Distin, Bartholomew Ogbeche and Lorik Cana cemented their place in it.[3][5] Additionally, the youth sides didn't win any trophy.[4] Fortunes changed in the late 2000s as the PSG Academy slowly began its rise to the top of French youth football.[3] Clément Chantôme and Mamadou Sakho were the two most successful graduates during these years. They were part of the Men's Under 19 side that won the club's first Championnat National U19 in 2006 and then became regular starters for the first team, playing over 200 games and winning several trophies.[3][5][14] Sakho was also club captain between 2011 and 2012.[15] Albeit with different players, the U19 team also won the Tournoi Carisport in 2008, a trophy which heralded an era of unprecedented success for the PSG Academy.[4]

Since 2009–10, the youth academy teams have dominated the national scene. That season, the Men's Under 19 team won the Championnat National U19 final against Monaco, while the Men's Under 17 side lost to Sochaux on penalties. The 2010–11 season was even more prolific as PSG became the first club to be crowned French champions in both age categories. The U19 won their second title in a row against Grenoble, while the U17 defeated arch-rivals Olympique de Marseille in the final to clinch the club's first Championnat National U17 title. The U17 youngsters dedicated this trophy to departing coach Jean-Luc Vasseur, a former PSG player and academy graduate who managed the team for six years.[12] Thanks to their U17/U19 double, PSG received the Best Youth Club award for the second time in their history. They won it again in 2012–13 and 2013–14.[4][12]

While the U19 participated in a new final in 2011–12, they would have to wait until 2015–16 and their victory over Olympique Lyonnais to be champions again. That same season, following two consecutive silver medals in 2013–14 and 2014–15, the U17 defeated Saint-Étienne and won the title as well, thus handing PSG their second double. They then beat Monaco in 2016–17 for their second championship in a row and third overall.[12] In parallel, the Women's Under 19 have been doing just as well. They have reached the Challenge National Féminin U19 final a record six times since 2013–14, winning three of them. The ladies defeated Lyon in 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2018–19 to clinch the trophy.[4][16][17]

The academy has also shined at the European and international level. The U19 first reached the UEFA Youth League final in 2016, narrowly losing to Chelsea, and then downed Monaco to win the Tournoi Européen des Centres U21 in 2018.[12][18] Simultaneously, the U17 dominated the Al Kass International Cup, contested in Doha, Qatar by teams from around the world. They won the inaugural edition in 2012 and reached the final in 2013, before regaining the trophy in 2015 and 2018.[12]

Since 2014, despite its success, the academy has seen the departure of several promising talents to other European clubs for free.[12][13] This has been the case of Kingsley Coman to Juventus in 2014, Dan-Axel Zagadou to Borussia Dortmund in 2017, Claudio Gomes to Manchester City in 2018 and, more recently, Tanguy Kouassi and Adil Aouchiche to Bayern Munich and Saint-Étienne, respectively, in 2020.[12][13][19] As a result, PSG have tried, without much success, to offer more early professional contracts to their youngsters and give them more playing time with the first team. The club proposed as much as 22 deals in 2017–18 and then a record eleven academy players participated in at least one Ligue 1 match in 2018–19.[12] Academy graduates Adrien Rabiot, Alphonse Areola, Presnel Kimpembe, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Grace Geyoro, Perle Morroni and Sandy Baltimore have all played big roles in the men's and women's first teams.[3][5][20]

In May 2019, following the end of the 2018–19 season, the club decided to dissolve its Men's Reserve team and instead focus on the U19 squad from the 2019–20 season onwards.[12][21] They used to compete in the Championnat National 2, the fourth tier of French football.[7][21] Consequently, the U19 became the last step before breaking into the first team.[7] Club officials considered that the reserve side no longer offered the desirable conditions in preparing players for the step up to the professional squad. In fact, many of PSG's promising young players had skipped the reserves and gone straight into the first team. Recent examples include defender Loïc Mbe Soh and midfielder Christopher Nkunku.[7][21]

Before the start of the 2019–20 campaign, PSG announced that the men's amateur side would be their new reserves albeit this time without being part of the way up to the professional team. They compete in the Championnat National 3 since being crowned champions of the Régional 1 Paris Île-de-France in 2018–19.[7][22]

Players recruited by the club join the Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy from a young age and work their way up to the youth system's top teams before breaking into the men's and women's professional squads. Male players have to pass through the Under 17 and Under 19 sides before being promoted to the first team, while the Under 19 side is the final step for female players. The men's U19 compete in four competitions – the Championnat National U19, the Coupe Gambardella, the UEFA Youth League and the Premier League International Cup. Likewise, the men's U17 play in the Championnat National U17 and the Al Kass International Cup. Finally, the women's U19 take part in the Challenge National Féminin U19.[7]

Formerly, there also was a men's reserve side, which competed in the Championnat National 2. It was dissolved after the end of the 2018–19 season.[12][21] As a result, the amateur side became the club's reserve team. Considered the second-highest team of the club within the French football league system, they play in the Championnat National 3. But, unlike the previous reserves, this new team is not connected in any way to the professional side.[22] The U19 is currently the last step before turning pro.[7] Therefore, the reserve squad does not have any professional or academy players and is solely composed of amateur footballers.[22]

The objective of the Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy is to produce elite football players while offering them an adapted and complete scholarly education. Thanks to a series of partnerships with clubs in the Île-de-France region, the academy regularly accepts promising new footballing talents on the advice of recruiters.[23] The students' education is assured by the Centre de Formation d'Apprentis Omnisports Ile-de-France (CFA Omnisports).[6]

Open to boys and girls, the Paris Saint-Germain Youth Academy began expanding its network in 2005 as part of the club's international development strategy. Pauleta, emblematic club legend and striker from 2003 to 2008, is the academy's official ambassador, accompanying its development in France and abroad.[23] Year-round, the PSG Academy welcomes more than 18,500 children aged between 4 and 17 in 15 countries across the globe: France, Brazil, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar, Germany, Russia, Thailand and Switzerland.[24][25]

More than 5,500 children of all levels attend the year-round football schools and courses of the PSG Academy across France. They take place at several football centers called UrbanSoccer. During school holidays, the club's academy organizes courses that include two training sessions per day, matches and a visit to Parc des Princes (only for the Île-de-France centers). In Île-de-France, the academy is present in 10 UrbanSoccer centers. In the rest of France, 9 UrbanSoccer centers host the PSG Academy.[23]

The academy also hosts the Paris Saint-Germain Academy Cup and the Paris Saint-Germain Academy Selection, two major annual events organized in Paris that bring together young players from all the club's academies around the world. The Academy Cup lines up teams from each academy during four days in a sporting experience that includes the tournament, visits to Paris and the opportunity to watch a Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes. Meanwhile, the Academy Selection is a week-long intensive course for the two best players from each academy, with the aim of supporting them in their development, and raising their awareness of the demands of high level football.[23]

• Best Youth Club
  • Winners (4): 1988–89, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14

• Championnat National U19
  • Winners (4; record): 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2015–16
  • Runners-up (1): 2011–12

• Challenge National Féminin U19
  • Winners (3): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19
  • Runners-up (3): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2017–18

• Championnat National U17
  • Winners (3; record): 2010–11, 2015–16, 2016–17
  • Runners-up (4): 2007–08, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15

• Championnat National des Cadets
  • Winners (1): 1987–88
  • Runners-up (1): 1979–80

• Coupe Gambardella
  • Winners (1): 1990–91
  • Runners-up (3): 1977–78, 1988–89, 1997–98

• Tournoi Carisport
  • Winners (1): 2008
  • Runners-up (3): 1996, 1997, 2011

• Coupe de Paris
  • Winners (3): 1971–72, 1972–73, 1979–80

• Régional 1 Paris Île-de-France
  • Winners (1): 2018–19

• UEFA Youth League:
  • Runners-up (1): 2015–16

• Tournoi Européen des Centres U21
  • Winners (1): 2018

• Montaigu Tournament:
  • Winners (1): 1993
  • Runners-up (5): 1977, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1994

• Plougonvelin Tournament:
  • Runners-up (1): 1993

• Al Kass International Cup
  • Winners (3; record): 2012, 2015, 2018
  • Runners-up (1): 2013

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ITA Denis Franchi — GK  MAD Mathyas Randriamamy — GK  FRA Romain Sallard — GK  FRA Henri Matton — DF  FRA Teddy Alloh — DF  FRA Abdoulaye Kamara — DF  FRA Thierno Baldé — DF  FRA Soumaila Coulibaly — DF  FRA Hubert Mbuyi — DF  FRA Moutanabi Bodiang — DF  FRA Timothée Pembélé — DF  FRA Kaïs Najeh — DF  FRA Anfane Ahamada M’Ze — DF  FRA Jonathan Mutombo

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  FRA El Chadaille Bitshiabu — MF  FRA Tidjany Chabrol — MF  FRA Nathan Bitumazala — MF  NED Xavi Simons (captain) — MF  FRA Daouda Weidmann — MF  FRA Édouard Michut — MF  FRA Dan-Patrice Bikouta — MF  FRA Kays Ruiz-Atil — FW  FRA Daniel Labila — FW  FRA Djeidi Gassama — FW  FRA Samuel Noireau — FW  FRA Kenny Nagera — FW  FRA Sekou Yansané — FW  FRA Nesta Zahui

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  FRA Alice Pinguet — GK  FRA Océane Toussaint — DF  FRA Nelly Da Cruz Rodrigues — DF  FRA Tara Elimbi Gilbert — DF  FRA Océane Hurtre — DF  FRA Audrey Lauer — DF  FRA Jade Le Guilly — DF  FRA Laure Robert — DF  CMR Vianelle Mireille Tchengang — DF  FRA Ayah Drissi

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  FRA Baby Jordy Benera — MF  FRA Wissem Bouzid — MF  FRA Laurina Fazer — MF  FRA Magnaba Folquet — MF  FRA Manel Ghidhaoui — MF  FRA Kelly Kouame — MF  FRA Leina Feddaoui — FW  FRA Aminata Dicko — FW  CMR Soufiya Ngueleu — FW  FRA Manssita Traoré

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  FRA Louis Mouquet — GK  FRA Henri Matton — GK  FRA Desthy Nkounkou — GK  FRA Kerian Gilbert — GK  FRA Bilal Laurendon — DF  FRA Younes El Hannach — DF  FRA Nehemiah Fernandez Veliz — DF  FRA Vimoj Muntu Wa Mungu — DF  FRA Hugo Lamy — DF  FRA Zoumana Bagbema — DF  FRA Shadyl Delest — DF  FRA Jordan Monteiro — DF  FRA Erwan Adonis — DF  FRA Sekou Doucouré

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  FRA Ismaël Gharbi — MF  FRA Ayman Kari — MF  FRA Warren Zaïre Emery — MF  FRA Mahamadou Diawara — MF  FRA Enzo Tayamoutou — MF  FRA Christ Mukelenge — FW  FRA Wilson Odobert — FW  FRA Ilyes Housni — FW  FRA Noah Lemina — FW  FRA Mehdi Ganouni — FW  FRA Queyrell Tchicamboud — FW  FRA Jouvence Americo — FW  FRA Romaric Etonde — FW  FRA Axel Eboki

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  FRA Johnny Gaza — GK  FRA Aymerick Berald Catelo — DF  FRA Mohamed Touré — DF  FRA Ibrahim Tall — DF  FRA Samuel Arneton — DF  FRA Yohan Mannone — DF  FRA Moussa Soumarè — MF  FRA Gaël N'Lundulu — MF  FRA Kouassi Dayoro — MF  FRA Benjamin Garnier — MF  FRA Emeryc Mabandza Batantou — MF  FRA Bouzid Yosri Dit Youbi — MF  FRA Yohan Taisson — MF  FRA Tom Bouvil

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  FRA Michael Bouraima — MF  POR Mathieu Richard Graça de Oliveira — MF  CMR Cédric N'Koum — MF  FRA Germain Delage — MF  FRA Laurains NGandu Kaniki — MF  FRA Yassine El Ouatki — FW  FRA Anouar Ghazouani — FW  FRA Louis Lapouge — FW  FRA Abdourahmane Fofana — FW  FRA Mamadou Keita — FW  FRA Yacine Ghazi — FW  FRA Oliver Ondziel Onna — FW  FRA Queran Verset — FW  FRA Mame Diagne

Since the academy's inception, 135 graduates have played for the men's first team.[3][41][42][43][44]

Luis Fernández

Nicolas Anelka

Presnel Kimpembe

Marie-Antoinette Katoto

Sandy Baltimore

No. Player Promotion 1 Thierry Coutard 1972–73 2 Bernard Lambert 3 Robin Leclercq 4 Michel Llodra 5 Éric Renaut 6 Claude Rivet 7 Patrice Turpin 8 Richard Vanquelles 9 Patrice Zbinden 10 Kamel Ben Mustapha 11 Jacky Bade 1973–74 12 Pierre Bajoc 13 Guy Nosibor

No. Player Promotion 14 Michel Bensoussan 1974–75 15 Gérard Cenzato 16 Dominique Lokoli 17 Bernard Moraly 1975–76 18 Pierre-Antoine Dossevi 19 Dominique Barberat 20 Dominique Berthaud 21 François Brisson 22 Lionel Justier 23 Thierry Morin 24 Jean-Marc Pilorget 25 Gilles Brisson 1976–77

No. Player Promotion 26 Hervé Porquet 1977–78 27 Mario Mongelli 28 Philippe Jean 29 Jean-Claude Lemoult 30 Franck Tanasi 31 Bernard Bureau 1978–79 32 Philippe Col 33 Luis Fernández 34 Franck Mérelle 35 Gilles Cardinet 1979–80 36 Patrick Grappin 37 Didier Toffolo

No. Player Promotion 38 Alain Préfaci 1981–82 39 Thierry Bacconnier 1982–83 40 Yannick Guillochon 41 Pascal Havet 1984–85 42 Thierry Tinmar 43 Sylvain Bied 44 Jean-Luc Girard 45 Patrice Marquet 46 Olivier Martinez 47 Fabrice Moreau 48 Laurent Pimond 49 Franck Vandecasteele 50 Liazid Sandjak 1986–87 51 Claude Barrabé 52 Amara Simba 53 Pierre Reynaud 54 Jean-Luc Vasseur

No. Player Promotion 55 Stéphane Persol 1987–88 56 Francis Llacer 1989–90 57 Pascal Nouma 58 David Rinçon 59 Thomas Kokkinis 1990–91 60 Richard Dutruel 1991–92 61 Patrick M'Boma 1992–93 62 Roméo Calenda 1993–94 63 Jean-Claude Fernandes 64 Bernard Allou 1994–95 65 Didier Domi 66 Pierre Ducrocq 67 Vincent Fernandez 68 Nicolas Anelka 1995–96 69 Djamel Belmadi 70 Jérôme Leroy 71 Edvin Murati

No. Player Promotion 72 Sylvain Distin 1997–98 73 Fabrice Kelban 74 Grégory Paisley 75 Fabrice Abriel 1999–2000 76 Gaël Hiroux 77 Selim Benachour 2000–01 78 Bartholomew Ogbeche 2001–02 79 Chiguy Lucau 2002–03 80 Lorik Cana 81 Hocine Ragued 82 Samuel Piètre 83 Franck Dja Djédjé 2003–04 84 Jean-Michel Badiane 2004–05 85 Sol Bamba 86 Rudy Haddad 87 Boukary Dramé 2005–06

No. Player Promotion 88 Clément Chantôme 2006–07 89 Larrys Mabiala 90 Youssouf Mulumbu 91 David N'Gog 92 Mamadou Sakho 93 Loris Arnaud 2007–08 94 Yannick Boli 95 Granddi Ngoyi 96 Younousse Sankharé 97 Maxime Partouche 98 Tripy Makonda 2008–09 99 Jean-Eudes Maurice 100 Florian Makhedjouf 2010–11 101 Yacine Qasmi 102 Jean-Christophe Bahebeck 103 Neeskens Kebano 104 Loïck Landre

No. Player Promotion 105 Kévin Rimane 2011–12 106 Adrien Rabiot 2012–13 107 Kalifa Traoré 108 Hervin Ongenda 109 Antoine Conte 110 Kingsley Coman 111 Alphonse Areola 112 Presnel Kimpembe 2014–15 113 Jean-Kévin Augustin 114 Jérémi Kimmakon 115 Christopher Nkunku 2015–16 116 Yakou Méïte 117 Timothée Taufflieb 118 Antoine Bernède 2016–17 119 Lorenzo Callegari 120 Alec Georgen 121 Jonathan Ikoné

No. Player Promotion 122 Colin Dagba 2017–18 123 Timothy Weah 124 Moussa Diaby 125 Stanley N'Soki 126 Yacine Adli 2018–19 127 Metehan Güçlü 128 Loïc Mbe Soh 129 Arthur Zagre 2019–20 130 Tanguy Nianzou 131 Adil Aouchiche 132 Arnaud Kalimuendo 2020–21 133 Kays Ruiz-Atil 134 Bandiougou Fadiga 135 Timothée Pembélé

These players were part of the teams that won three Challenge National Féminin U19 titles and the Coupe de France Féminine in 2018.[20]

Player	Position	Paris Saint-Germain	Appearances	Goals	Source
Grace Geyoro	MF	2014–	109	13	[45]
Marie-Antoinette Katoto	FW	2015–	100	90	[46]
Perle Morroni	DF	2015–	71	4	[47]
Sandy Baltimore	MF	2016–	47	11	[48]
Anissa Lahmari	MF	2015–2019	27	8	[49]
Lina Boussaha	MF	2016–2020	13	4	[50]