RC Strasbourg Alsace Academy
The RC Strasbourg Alsace Academy, officially the Racing Mutest Académie, is the youth academy of French football club RC Strasbourg Alsace. It was founded in 1972.
History edit
RC Strasbourg Alsace's academy was created for the training of young players in 1972.[1] The first training center, located on the east side of the Stade de la Meinau,[2] was created in 1974 under the leadership of athletic director Robert Domergue and Jacques Berthommier, first coach of the training center.[3][4][5] Among the champions of France in 1979, Albert Gemmrich, Jacques Glassmann, Jean-Jacques Marx, Léonard Specht and Roland Wagner were trained by Racing. Another member of the champions of France in 1979, Arsène Wenger, was head of the academy between 1981 and 1983 at the end of his playing career. In the 1980s, Vincent Sattler, who died accidentally when he was a top prospect of French football,[6] and José Cobos passed through the center. In the following decade, players like Olivier Dacourt, Martin Djetou and Valérien Ismaël were products of Strasbourg's academy.[7][8]
Because of the age of the old building,[1] a new training center was built near the Meinau stadium under the leadership of President Patrick Proisy. The new center, which opened in October 2000, includes a covered field with synthetic grass 40 meters by 60, also used by the professional group in inclement weather.[9] The buildings, originally owned by RC Strasbourg, were built on municipal land[10] which was leased to the club until 2045.[11] In 2010 the city of Strasbourg bought for €4,074,000 the buildings of the training center at the club, which was then in financial difficulty.[10][12] The center's budget for the 2010–2011 season was €2.5 million and was funded in the amounts of €1.5 million by the local authorities and 1 million by the company RC Strasbourg.[13]
In 2010–11, the club was deemed "too expensive" by the National President Jafar Hilali, who wrote in Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace "I ask myself a simple question. What good is it to keep a training center with a budget of € 2.5 million, equal to three-quarters of the clubs in National?"(translated).[14] In case of merger with Football Club de Mulhouse, the training center would have remained in Strasbourg but the club have played in Mulhouse.[15] After the announcement of the bankruptcy filing, the players were free to choose their future course.
Although it was likely that it would disappear at the end of 2010–2011, Racing retained its training center after filing for bankruptcy, and in October 2011, the city of Strasbourg awarded a grant of €300,000 to the association for its operations.[16] Since filing for bankruptcy, the center is no longer franchised. It became a school of elite soccer.[17] In 2012–2013, there will no longer 34 but 15 permanent residents at the training center.[18]
Operations edit
The center welcomes young players 16 years of age and older. Aspiring players, aged 16 to 18 years, participating in the Under 18s and students up to 21 years, play on the reserve team.[19] Since 2000, players such as Cédric Kanté, Yacine Abdessadki, Éric Mouloungui or Kevin Gameiro were trained in Strasbourg. In recent tournaments, the 18-year-old team reached the national Coupe Gambardella final in 2003 and won the event in 2006. The reserve team competed for the championship and the CFA Cup Alsace, which they have won several times since the 2000s.[20]
The National Technical Director of the French Soccer Federation (Fédération française de football) conducts an annual ranking of the training centers of all professional teams. This ranking takes into account the so-called efficiency relative to young home-grown players (number of professional contracts, number of games played by professional team and the national team, school diplomas) and the status of educators.[21] Of a total of 32 training centers, the RC Strasbourg ranks 17th in 2007[22] and 16th in 2008[23] and 12th in 2009,[24] then in the second division, Racing ranks 8th in 2009-2010 of all professional clubs and ranks first among clubs not playing in Ligue 1[25]
Honours edit
| Youth teams | International Competitions |
|---|---|
|
Notes edit
- ^ Since 2000, the Alsace Cup is played exclusively by amateur reserve teams, professional or semi-professional players are not allowed to participate. Alsace association football league, Ligue d'Alsace Football 2010/2011 Directory - Cup Regulations Alsace - Article 3, section 40[permanent dead link]
References edit
- ^ a b Véronique Bouvier and Raviraj Beechook, "Un centre... en formation", in CUEJ 2006, p. 13
- ^ Tatiana Vazquez, "Le berceau de la Meinau", in CUEJ 2006, pp. 4–5
- ^ Un fondateur oublié
- ^ Fiche de Jacques BERTHOMMIER, from racingstub.com (viewed 11 September 2010)
- ^ Fiche de Jacques BERTHOMMIER, from racingstub.com (viewed 11 September 2010)
- ^ Collectif 1991, p. 141
- ^ Palmarès de la formation viewed 7 February 2009
- ^ Djetou : les yeux loin des Bleus 2014-06-24 at the Wayback Machine viewed 28 August 2010
- ^ Stéphane Godin, Racing - Sale temps et embellie, L'Alsace, 12 February 2010
- ^ a b Olivier Arnal, Racing : les actionnaires mettent la main à la poche, L'Alsace, 20 July 2010
- ^ Stéphane Godin, Où s’arrêtera la chute, L'Alsace, 3 July 2010
- ^ S.G., Echos de la Meinau - Premiers départs, L'Alsace, 20 September 2010
- ^ Stéphane Godin, Le centre de formation en sursis, L'Alsace, 9 Dec 2010
- ^ Jafar Hilali: "Tout pour empêcher un dépôt de bilan", 2 April 2011, viewed 31 October 2011
- ^ Ludo, Mulhouse : le président n’en peut plus, 9 May 2011, viewed 31 octobre 2011
- ^ Mise à disposition gracieuse du stade de la Meinau au Racing Club de Strasbourg, 29 October 2011, viewed 31 October 2011
- ^ Stéphane Godin, Le centre se recentre, 12 July 2012, viewed 12 juillet 2012
- ^ S. G., 15 pensionnaires au lieu de 34, 12 July 2012, viewed 12 July 2012
- ^ Présentation du centre de formation, viewed 7 February 2009
- ^ Palmarès sportif du centre, viewed 7 February 2009
- ^ Ligue de football professionnel, Charte du football professionnel saison 2008-2009, 2008, chartePro.pdf 2008-11-13 at the Wayback Machine sections=25-28
- ^ Classement des centres de formation 2007 2012-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, 26 June 2007, viewed 7 February 2009
- ^ Le Stade Rennais n°1 de la formation 2008-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, 26 June 2008, viewed 7 février 2009
- ^ Le Stade Rennais FC, maître de la formation 2009-07-12 at the Wayback Machine 29 June 2009, viewed 2 July 2009
- ^ Échos, L'Alsace, 14 June 2010
- ^ a b Erik Garin, Coupe Nationale des Juniors, 21 February 2007, viewed on 5 février 2010
- ^ Championnat National U19, ancien 18 ans jusqu'en 2008-2009 et 17 ans jusqu'en 2001-02 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine 30 May 2005, viewed 25 May 2011
- ^ Erik Garin, Championnat National (U-17/U-18) 21 February 2007, viewed 3 February
- ^ Jeunes : les résultats du week-end - 16 ans Nationaux - Tournoi de Quevilly, 24 August 2008, viewed 25 August 2008
- ^ Palmarès du Championnat national des cadets 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine, 1 February 2001, viewed 3 February 2009
- ^ Erik Garin, Coupe des Cadets (U-16), 21 February 2007, viewed 5 February 2010
- ^ Erik Garin, Coupe Nationale des Benjamins (U-12), 21 February 2007, viewed 3 February 2009]
- ^ Division 3 Gr. Est 1980, viewed 28 April 2011
- ^ Division 4 Gr. C 1986, viewed 28 April 2011
- ^ Division 4 Gr. C 1988, viewed 28 April 2011
- ^ CFA 2 Gr. C 2011, viewed 25 December 2011
- ^ Ligue d'Alsace de football association, Ligue d’Alsace de Football, Annuaire 2010/2011 - Règlement de la Coupe d’Alsace - Palmarès de l'épreuve, section 41[permanent dead link]
Bibliography edit
- News d'Ill, numéro 86, Strasbourg: Centre universitaire d'enseignement du journalisme (CUEJ), Robert Schuman University, January 2006, ISSN 0996-9624
- Collectif (1991), Ronald Hirlé (ed.), Il était une fois le Racing, toute l'histoire du club omnisport strasbourgeois, Berger-Levrault
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