OGC Nice leaps up the rankings of the best training centers

Only 16th in the general ranking (bringing together clubs from L1, L2 and National 1) at the end of the previous season, the Nice training center, managed by Julien Sablé and Fabien Caballero, has moved into the top 10 of the best Academies this season, climbing to ninth place.

"It's a great step, but we don't want to stop there. In the same way that we want to be in the top 6 or 7 and play in Europe every season, we also want to aim for those places for our team. We know we still have a long way to go," explains general manager Fabrice Bocquet.

The excellent seasons of Evann Guessand, who could become the biggest transfer of a youth player at the club this summer, Tom Louchet and Antoine Mendy were important signals, as was Djibril Coulibaly's first professional contract.

"What I like about this ranking, and we've maintained it for years, is the quality of the education, " adds the Nice manager, referring to the 5 stars, the maximum score, awarded for this criterion. "Beyond training players, we train people. Lionel Iacono and his teams work very well."

Another category where the Gym achieved the highest number of international matches was the number of international matches played by players trained at the club (without distinction of nation).

The other three criteria concerned the number of professional contracts signed (2.5 stars), cumulative minutes within the first team (2.5) and European representation* (2.5 stars).

Still lagging behind the competition, the Gym has placed training back at the heart of its strategy. For example, a sum of one million euros was recently invested to renovate a pitch, allowing young Aiglons to train in the best possible conditions.

"The club is very committed, not only to keeping the training center running on a daily basis, but to developing it," assures Fabrice Bocquet .

It will take some work to dethrone Stade Rennais, who have topped the table for the third consecutive year, ahead of PSG and AS Monaco.

* players from clubs with points in the UEFA ranking, with a training agreement of at least one year.