At the PSG Campus in Poissy, near Paris, there are brand-new buildings, 17 immaculate training pitches โ pristine even in November’s winter weather โ and all the perks you’d expect from a European champion, made possible by a โฌ350 million investment. And then there is the staircase, seemingly ordinary but symbolically far more significant, that splits the facility into two distinct worlds: On one side, the professional players; on the other, those who hope to become them.
Along the steps, plaques commemorate the names of 142 players who came through the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) youth academy since its founding in 1975 before making it to the first team. How many “titis” โ the nickname for PSG academy graduates โ will take part in the UEFA Champions League match against Tottenham at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, November 26? Since the season began, nearly 10 academy products have already joined training with the senior squad, and five have made appearances in official matches: Warren Zaรฏre-Emery, Senny Mayulu, Quentin Ndjantou, Ibrahim Mbaye and Mathis Jangeal.
PSG is quick to boast about it. So is coach Luis Enrique, who said he was “highly motivated to give playing time” to the academy youngsters “who are up to the level.” “I don’t hand out favors,” the Spaniard added after the 3-0 win over Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Saturday, November 22. “It is important for me and for the club to instill confidence in the players coming out of the academy.” After years of questions about its real role in PSG’s sporting project and its on-fied success, the academy now finds itself thrust into the spotlight.
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