The future has arrived, everyone! This season, four teams from the Isuzu UTE A-League have made it into the top 100 from a total of 65 leagues worldwide, based on the minutes played by Under-21 talents.
The young stars have been a beacon of hope in the 2024-25 season as the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series kicks off this week. According to the CIES Football Observatory, these four clubs have been highlighted from 65 global competitions, ranking them based on the percentage of domestic league minutes played by players aged 21 or younger in the ongoing season.
Adelaide United stands out as the leading A-League club, ranked 50th globally with 36% of their match minutes going to young players. Belgian second-tier side Lommel SK, affiliated with the City Football Group, tops the list.
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Following closely behind is La Liga powerhouse and UEFA Champions League finalists Barcelona, who sit at 39th with 38.3%. The Reds have earned a reputation for their impressive youth academy in South Australia, with rising stars like Panagiotis Kikianis, the joint-Golden Boot recipient Archie Goodwin, and Ethan Alagich making significant strides.
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Players such as Luka Jovanovic, Jonny Yull, Ryan White, Harry Crawford, and Max Vartuli have made vital contributions as they prepare for the Elimination Final against Western United this Friday.
Western United ranks next among A-League teams, sitting at 66th with 33.7% of match minutes allocated to young players.
A surge of academy graduates has propelled John Aloisi’s Green and Black, who concluded the season in third place, just shy of an AFC Champions League Elite spot. Notable names include 17-year-old sensation Dylan Leonard, along with Abel Walatee, Oli Lavale, Rhys Bozinovski, Charbel Shamoon, and Matthew Grimaldi.
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Completing the top 100 list are Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners representing A-League clubs.
Melbourne City is placed at 89th with 30.4%, while the Mariners follow closely at 92nd with 30.1%.
City’s emerging talents have been pivotal this season, not only securing a spot in the Semi-Finals but also qualifying for the ACL Elite after finishing second. Aurelio Vidmar has consistently relied on players like Medin Memeti, Max Caputo, Patrick Beach, Alessandro Lopane, Zane Schreiber, Lawrence Wong, and Emin Durakovic.
Although two-time defending champions Central Coast Mariners couldn’t make the top six, they successfully introduced several youngsters to professional play, including the 17-year-old standout Haine Eames, along with fellow teens Dylan Peraic-Cullen and Arthur de Lima.
You can also find Bailey Brandtman, Abdelelah Faisal, and Nicholas Duarte making names for themselves, while Nathan Paull and Miguel Di Pizio have further established their credentials.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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