Brand new CIES Football Observatory Annual Review launched today

Neuchâtel, 20 August 2012

The seventh edition of the CIES Football Observatory Annual Review is now available. This key reference publication unveils the logics of success in the five major European leagues using a novel and unique “demo-technic” approach. The latter combines the study of players’ demographic profile and their on-pitch performances both on an individual and collective level.

The five chapters that make up the publication cover the following areas: player selection and turnover; age structure and club experience; mobility and contracts; club pitch performance; player pitch performance.

The 2012 report notably highlights that investing in young players is more than ever a key success factor. In all leagues, the average age of players fielded by champions was lower than that of runner-up teams. All title winners are among the ten youngest clubs in their respective league. The average age of players fielded by the youngest champion, Borussia Dortmund (24.49), was only half a year greater than that of the youngest club overall, Toulouse FC (24.02).

With the exception of Juventus, the highest percentage of minutes among champions was played by footballers aged between 22 and 26. However, no title winners fielded as regularly players under 22 years of age as English and German runner-ups: Manchester United (25% of minutes) and Bayern Munich (22%). Within the context of a generation change, their strategy of giving a chance to young talents should pay dividends in the years to come.

More information is to be found on the CIES Football Observatory’s website. An excerpt of the Annual Review may be downloaded for free from the CIES Football Observatory’s website. The 96-page comprehensive report is on sale on the CIES website.

For all enquiry, please write to [email protected] or call the CIES administration at 0041 32 718 39 00