A new study rates Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain as among the top youth systems in Europe, with six Ligue 1 Uber Eats clubs making the top 20.
The CIES Football Observatory's study reveals that 31 players to have come up through OL's youth system are currently operating in one of the five major European leagues. That figure places OL third on the list behind Spanish giants Real Madrid (43) and Barcelona (32), while PSG are hard on OL's heels in fourth place (29) and Rennes are eighth (25). Saint-Etienne (22), Monaco (22) and Lens (20) are also in the top 20.
The study uses the UEFA definition of players having spent at least three seasons between the age of 15 and 21 at the clubs. OL have produced 23 players currently operating in the Champions League or the Europa League, while for PSG that total is 19.
