Sunday, February 16, 2025

Five of the youngest soccer teams of all time

Last update 19 March, 2022 by Alberto Llopis

When Nordsjaelland broke the all-time Danish record for the youngest starting eleven in history, The rest of the football world marveled at the average age of the players: solo 20 years and 20 days.
However, the danes were not surprised. He Nordsjaelland has a history of super young teams: in the last decade, have occupied 48 of the 50 first places for the youngest Danish teams in history. Besides, the benefit is not only the records: the club has finished in the top six for five consecutive years and has entered 55 million euros with the sale of young talents.
This leads to the question: Does a young staff give good results?? Here's a look at some of the youngest teams in European football history.

Gaziantepspor, 2017 (average age: 19,9 years)

Teams do not always play with young people by choice. Unlike Nordsjaelland, from 2017, Turkish side Gaziantepspor had to choose to play with more and more teenage players due to the serious financial problems they were going through..
With an average age of less than 20 years, His squad was probably the youngest in the world, and this lack of experience was reflected in the results. In 2018-2019, the team lost 29 of the 34 games he played and remained anchored at the bottom of the standings throughout the season.
The next year, participated in the Turkish regional amateur league, but with the arrival of the pandemic, the club could no longer continue paying its players. As expected, Gaziantepspor went bankrupt and this meant the end of their young player policy.

FK Metta, from 2014 (average age: little less than 20 years)

Metta is another team that believes in youth, and that has earned them the nickname "the Students". The club maintains a close relationship with the University of Latvia and very often puts out starting lineups with an average age of less than 20 years.
After their promotion to the country's first division in 2011, The club has always emphasized bringing out new talents, and the team has been and is the youngest in the Latvian top flight since 2014.
The system works for both the club and the players: Metta makes money by offering low salaries and selling its best assets, while players gain invaluable experience. Everyone wins.

Middlesbrough, 2006 (average age: 20,5 years)

The Middlesbrough manager, Steve McClaren, tenía varias razones para sacar un equipo tan joven en el último partido de la temporada 2005-06: la academia del club había producido su cosecha de talentos más interesante en años y su primer equipo estaba agotado tras una temporada larguísima con hasta 62 partidos que incluyó una heroica participación en la Copa de la UEFA.

Con una edad promedio de poco más de 20 years, la mayor parte de los jugadores debutaba con el primer equipo. Lee Cattermole se convirtió en el capitán más joven del club a la edad de 18 years, mientras que Josh Walker, que entró desde el banquillo, acababa de cumplir 17 years, lo que significa que no tenía la edad suficiente para ingresar a un club nocturno o jugar en un casino.

The team fought bravely, but, in the end, Fulham's experience prevailed and the London team won thanks to a late penalty. However, It was just the beginning for part of the team.: Ross Turnbull joined Chelsea and Cattermole enjoyed most of his career at the top level.

Bolton Wanderers, 2019 (average age: 21,6 years)

Los Bolton's recent financial problems They are well known and have contributed to a fall in the divisions of the English football pyramid. His first season in the third level presented a big problem: the first team players had not received their salaries for five months and refused to play in the third game of the season against Coventry.
Eleven youth players, some of whom were in the club's academy from the age of eight, they volunteered to play. To the surprise of many, Their more experienced opponents had a lot of trouble dealing with them.. The Bolton goalkeeper, Matt Alexander, I then had only 17 years.
The game ended 0-0, a superb achievement for young people, who received a standing ovation at the end. Unfortunately for the club, There was nothing the young talents or the players on the squad could do later to avoid relegation..

Arsenal, 2009 (average age: 22,8 years)

La famosa Arsenal youth academy had produced many young talents in the time of Arsène Wenger, and their fans often boasted about how their children's divisions would give them much more joy in the Premier League.

And that's what happened in 2009, when, with qualification for the Champions League assured, Wenger selected a youth team against Portsmouth in the last game of the season.
The London team won comfortably by 3-0 with two goals from Nicklas Bendtner, of 21 years, and a bit of Carlos Vela, one year younger. In that match, Portsmouth goalkeeper, David James, he was more than twice the age of his opponent Aaron Ramsey, of 18 years.

So, Is youth better than experience?? It's hard to say; The above shows that it produces mixed results and often depends on many other factors. But as the pandemic continues to overshadow football and force clubs to tighten their belts, youth rosters could become a common feature in many major leagues.

Hot this week

The best Mexican players in history

Let's try to review who the best players are....

Soccer of the 90: Tato Abbey and Mariano Angoy

Spanish football from the years 90 left us ...

What equipment you drop worse?

What are the most hated teams in Spain? It just is...

Real Madrid's League in the season 1994-1995 with Valdano

The season 1994-1995 It was memorable for Real Madrid..

The players with the most Champions League titles in history

Who are the players with the most Champions League titles in....

Iván Fresneda: Ascent of a Spanish promise at Sporting CP

Iván Fresneda, born in Madrid in 2004, It has been ...

Penalty shoot specialists: the best pitchers

Who are the best penalty pitchers in the ...

The best hobbies in Argentina

Talking about Argentina's best hobbies is entering ...

Soccer of the 90: Tato Abbey and Mariano Angoy

Spanish football from the years 90 left us ...

Data record and the English Premier League

In this article, We will review the palmarés of ...

Spanish players who played at the Sunderland AFC

Throughout the history of the Sunderland AFC,...

parapenaltis doormen: the best archers in stopping penalties

In this post we are going to talk about the 'goalkeepers ...

Data record and Argentina Liga

Argentina's Professional Soccer League: History and ...

Related Articles

Popular Categories

error: Content is protected !!