Stade Brestois is the Ligue 1 club that gives the least amount of playing time to young players

In its latest weekly letter, the CIES Football Observatory has established a ranking of clubs from 50 leagues worldwide, based on the playing time given to players under the age of 21 over the past five years.

The ranking may seem unflattering for Stade Brestois, as among the 18 clubs currently competing in Ligue 1, it ranks last. In Brest, only 2.5% of the total minutes played since January 1, 2021, were by players under 21. Playing time is fairly distributed among the other age groups identified by CIES: 21-24 years old (33.5%), 25-28 years old (32.3%), and 29 years and older (31.7%). During this period, the Finistère club used 16 players under 21, the lowest total among the 18 elite clubs.

Rennes at the foot of the podium

In Ligue 1, RC Strasbourg (36 U21 players fielded, 18.6% playing time) occupies the top spot. The Alsace club has been playing many young players since joining the BlueCo galaxy in 2023 and being linked to Chelsea. Lyon (16.4%) and Toulouse (14.6%) take the other podium positions.

Stade Rennais is just below the podium, with 14.5% of playing time and 34 U21 players used (two fewer than Strasbourg and Nice, and one fewer than Le Havre). As for FC Lorient, they are in the middle of the pack, ranking 10th with 8.8% playing time for 24 players used.