AS Monaco Academy: Cultivating Future Football Talent

Soungoutou Magassa scored for Monaco against Benfica in the Champions League earlier this season. AS Monaco’s academy director, Sebastien Muet, states, “We don’t sell dreams,” yet the Principality club’s renowned academy is undeniably focused on realizing them. From the La Diagonale Academy Centre, the prominent arches of the Stade Louis II are visible, serving as a constant, almost imposing, daily reminder to the young athletes of their goal: to emulate figures such as Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe. Currently, players like Eliesse ben Seghir, Maghnes Akliouche, and Soungoutou Magassa provide contemporary examples. Djimi Traore, a former Liverpool defender and current manager of Les Monegasques’ academy team, asserts, “Monaco is one of the best academies in France, in the world, in terms of producing young players. It comes from the DNA of the club.” In 2022, the academy opted to withdraw from the lower divisions of French football and instead participate in the Premier League International Cup. Paul Mitchell, now Newcastle United’s sporting director, linked this choice to the emergence of Ben Seghir, who is nominated for this year’s Golden Boy award. This year, the academy is also participating in the Uefa Youth League, where they have already defeated Barcelona and Benfica, recognized as two of the world’s leading academies. Additionally, they are competing in the recently established Challenge Espoir, a league designed for France’s top academy teams. Monaco’s schedule is structured to serve as the ultimate transitional phase between youth and professional football. Muet, however, believes that the foundation for achievement is established years beforehand through recruitment. At his previous club, FC Metz, he participated in the acclaimed Generation Foot project, stating that he was “one of the educators that welcomed” Sadio Mane to the club. At Monaco, the initiative differs slightly, focusing more on local talent. Monaco’s distinct geographical location, bordered by Italy to the east and with Nice situated 20km to the west, has been viewed as an obstacle to Les Monegasques’ efforts in local recruitment. Former Arsenal and Monaco manager Arsene Wenger commented earlier this year, “There is no local pool of young players.” He further explained, “The Nicois go to OGC Nice and as there aren’t local players, the club is obliged to recruit from the whole of France for their academy,” subsequently highlighting the benefits rather than the disadvantages of this circumstance. Kylian Mbappe, though born in Paris, advanced through Monaco’s academy and debuted at 16 years old. The reality presents a more complex picture. Ben Seghir originates from Frejus, a town situated under 90km along the coast, and Euro 1984 champion Bruno Bellone traveled a short distance from Cannes. Muet states, “We are attentive to potential be it at 3km, 5km, 300km or 600km, there isn’t a big difference. We have associations with clubs in the region and across France, which allows us to be attentive everywhere. Monaco isn’t a club that recruits from far away, just a club that recruits well.” Monaco’s CEO Thiago Scuro, who was previously involved with Red Bull’s club network, including RB Bragantino in Brazil, further comments, “I would say that it is easy to convince players to come to this club.” Ben Seghir declined an offer from Marseille to join Les Monegasques, a decision understandable given Monaco’s history of nurturing young talent. By recruiting extensively throughout France, Monaco attracts top-tier talent. Mbappe serves as a prime example of Monaco’s successful recruitment strategy, being one of numerous talents from the Ile-de-France region who have relocated to the Principality. Akliouche and Magassa have followed a similar trajectory to Mbappe in recent years. Nevertheless, the Real Madrid forward is, in many respects, an atypical case. Monaco’s current players, Ben Seghir, Akliouche, and Magassa, have all scored in this season’s Champions League and have successfully integrated into the first-team squad, mirroring Mbappe’s achievement. However, unlike the France captain, their paths have involved setbacks, necessitating patience. For instance, Akliouche demonstrated his technical skill early in his career, particularly during his professional debut in a Coupe de France match in February 2022. Yet, like many young players, he faced challenges with consistency. Philippe Clement, then Monaco manager, commented in late 2022, “Maghnes has developed well over the past weeks and months, but for now he’s showing it more in training than in matches.” Patience is a fundamental element of Monaco’s successful approach to integrating academy players. Scuro observes, “Eighteen-year-olds aren’t ready to play top-level football, but today the industry wants them to be.” Traore draws a comparison to his own entry into professional football in the 1990s, recalling, “Back then, there was an opportunity but sometimes it was a one-shot. You had to be good straight away to get another chance.” Eliesse ben Seghir debuted for Monaco at 17 years old. This approach is not characteristic of Monaco, which offers players opportunities for development within the first-team structure and fosters an environment conducive to their growth. Academy players