La Liga feature: The future is bright at Valencia

Thanks to the various world-class footballers coming through Valencia CF’s academy, the future is bright at Mestalla.

From key Spain internationals such as Jose Gaya and Carlos Soler to emerging teenage talents like Koba Koindredi, Yunus Musah, Hugo Guillamón, Uros Racic, Toni Lato, Valencia CF have 12 homegrown players representing their first team in La Liga in 2021-22 nowadays and this gives Los Che a unique identity.

Of the homegrown players to have made at least one of José Bordalás’ matchday squads over the first seven rounds of the new La Liga campaign, nine of these players are aged 23 or younger.

That clear pathway between the academy and first team is one of the primary reasons why Valencia CF, along with Real Sociedad, have the joint-youngest average age of all La Liga sides this 2021/22 season, at 24.7 years.

In the view of Valencia CF academy general director Sean Bai, these first-team opportunities are an intrinsic part of the academy’s success.

With potential recruits seeing a pathway to opportunities in LaLiga Santander, they too want to come and train at the facilities at Paterna.

At home and abroad, the players who form part of Valencia CF’s academy know that there is a solid structure in place and that this is a club where it is possible to progress. There are no barriers to the first team at Valencia CF, where rising stars will always be given a chance to show what they can do at LaLiga Santander level.