PSG put academy at heart of rebuild as teenagers star in 3-0 cup win | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain are putting their academy at the heart of a reset. According to L'Équipe, the shift underpins an ambitious sporting project.

Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Evian, D2, in the Coupe de la LFFP quarter-finals showcased it. Paulo Cesar started goalkeeper Océane Toussaint, 21, Gabrielle Leroux, 17, Paris-Emilie Daramola, 16, and Marie-Estella Lafontaine, 17, who struck twice on her professional debut.

The season remains fraught, with a Champions League exit at the league phase and a nine-point league deduction upheld on appeal this week. Last summer, Marie-Antoinette Katoto left for Lyon and Grace Geyoro joined London City.

PSG kept Paulo Cesar in charge to hard-wire the pathway from academy to seniors after the centre officially opened in 2023. Deputy sporting director Sabrina Delannoy says continuity and identity matter, and that developing homegrown talent can help deliver titles.

The Brazilian has leaned on the Titis. While Tara Elimbi Gilbert has featured less, Anaïs Ebayilin has emerged after a long injury and was tipped by Delannoy in September to earn more minutes. Jade Le Guilly, Noémie Fatier, Tanté Diakité, Ornella Graziani and Léa Morissaint have also stepped up, with eight academy players involved against Evian.

The academy feeds the top flight too, with 10 clubs fielding a PSG-trained player this season. Academy head Sonia Haziraj says the ideal is for graduates to thrive in Paris, but success elsewhere in France can raise standards for all, and the club dreams of winning the Champions League one day with 11 homegrown players.

Source: L'Équipe