With 85 players, Ajax has the most home-grown players circulating in UEFA's 31 highest club competitions. This is according to the data agency CIES Football Observatory. Ajax topped this list for the second year in a row.
The Swiss research agency uses the term home-grown players for players who have played at the club for at least three years between the ages of 15 and 21. The annual publication shows that Ajax once again scored the highest, as they did last year when there were 81 players from Ajax's youth academy playing in Europe's top competitions.
Number two on the list is Portugal's Benfica: 73 players playing football in Europe benefited from Portuguese training. Dinamo Kiev completes the top three with 72 footballers.
'Training index'In the 'training index', Ajax (100) also tops the list again this year. This list combines players' game time and experience level. Real Madrid (87.0) and Sporting CP (82.3) follow at an appropriate distance.
Of the traditional top three in the Netherlands, Feyenoord has 42 trained players in Europe, and PSV delivered 35 players to the 31 highest club competitions. In the 'training index', both clubs are also set apart from the Amsterdammers: Feyenoord (52.4) and PSV (35.6).
