Serie A 2026/27 has shown several encouraging signs regarding the launch and use of young players, but it will take many years for Italian teams to bridge the gap with the top clubs in other countries. This is well known, but there are also many data points to support it. For example those published by the CIES sports observatory, which has compiled the ranking of teams with the most flourishing youth academies in the world. If we look at those that have produced the highest number of players currently playing in one of the five top European leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1), we find that Real Madrid and Barcelona have dug a trench with all the other clubs: from La Fábrica, 40 players have emerged who play for a club in the major European leagues, while La Masía has produced 34.
Behind the two Spanish giants, the numbers begin to standardize: Manchester City (29 players in the five top leagues), Rennes (28), Ajax and PSG (both at 27), complete the Top-6, then just behind are Athletic Club (25), Chelsea (24), Atlético Madrid (23), and Real Sociedad (21). The two Italian clubs present in the top positions of this ranking, Inter and Juventus, are not that far behind: both the Nerazzurri and the Bianconeri have indeed developed 17 players who play for a team in the five top leagues. The problem is that ahead of the two Italian clubs are teams like Toulouse (19), Salzburg (18), and Villarreal (18), and that at 17 there are also other clubs that are far from prestigious, such as Espanyol and Málaga.
The point, upon reflection, is precisely this: if we consider Real Madrid and Barcelona as unreachable – given their youth culture and the years of huge investments made in their respective academies – the fact that second or even third-tier clubs (Málaga has only just returned to La Liga this year after several seasons in Segunda División) have better numbers than Inter and Juventus demonstrates how difficult it is in Serie A to carry out a real talent development policy. Not only in terms of supply for the first team but also to implement a sell-to-improve model. Certainly, clubs like Atalanta and Roma have shown they can work well with their youth academies, producing good players for years, but the impact on their balance sheets – both technical and economic – is still too limited. Thus, Inter and Juventus are exceptions. Meanwhile, elsewhere, especially in Spain, nurturing and launching many quality players is a true rule.