The power of the Zubieta quarry is reflected in each Real match. It is something more than a philosophy or a way of understanding the competition that the San Sebastian club has, it is a benchmark model in Europe that offers results, as has been evident in recent times and represents the great pride of its fans. The fifth classified in the Spanish League and champion of the Copa del Rey on April 3 is the second team in Europe, among the five main leagues, with the highest participation of the players forged in its factory, according to a study carried out by the CIES Football Observatory. Although it may seem surprising, the entity that occupies the first place is Celta, which decided to return to its origins and resume a commitment to its own academy. There are seven teams in the League among the 10 that give the most prominence to their homegrown players in Europe.
The fifth of La Cartuja
Imanol
Sheriff has granted 48.5% of the league minutes to footballers forged in the Zubieta quarry. The youth players are considered to be those who have played in the lower categories of the club for at least three years between 15 and 21. There are 16 players who fit into this profile, who have been used by the coach in the first 34 League days (the study does not include the last). They are Gorosabel, Zaldua, Aritz, Zubeldia, You
Normand, Aihen, Guevara, Zubimendi, Gonzalez
from
Zarate, Illarramendi, Guridi, Robert
Lopez, Merquelanz, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea Y Baptist.
16 homegrown players in contention
Celta has employed fewer home footballers, 13, but they have had a greater role: Blades, Mallo, Denis
Suarez, Brais Mendez, Santi
Mine, Ruben
White and Ivan
Villar They are among the eleven most used by technicians. It is striking that Athletic is in third place among the teams in the League and in Europe in the use of footballers trained in their own academy. Only 40.6% of the minutes of the League have been played by rojiblancos homegrown players. In his case, some of the players who have had the most opportunities, such as Iñigo
Martinez, Cap or Berenguer, who are in the top-5 with more minutes, do not fit into UEFA's definition of a youth squad. Saint-Etienne is the first non-league team in which the players trained at the club have had a greater presence (35%).
Among the 12 players with the most minutes so far this league season at La Real, there are seven forged in the Zubieta quarry. In this order they are You
Normand, Gorosabel, Oyarzabal, Zubeldia, Guevara, Aritz
Elustondo Y Zubimendi.
Unlike other years in which the baptisms of Sanse footballers have proliferated – there were nine premieres in the 2018/19 season – only one member of the subsidiary's squad debuted this year: Urko
Gonzalez
from
Zarate.
.
Youth squad employment in Europe *:
% Minutes Players Club
49.0% Celta 13 Players
48.5% Real Sociedad 16
40.6% Athletic 12
35.0% St-Etienne 17
34.3% Osasuna 8
30.1% Brighton and Hove 6
29.6% Barcelona 9
28.1% Villarreal 8
27.5% Valencia 8
27.2% Manchester United 15
* Considering the five major leagues