Paradou AC, Algeria’s unique academy behind five World Cup call-ups | OneFootball

Paradou AC is now Algeria’s prime talent pipeline, with five graduates in Vladimir Petkovic’s 26 for the World Cup in North America. L'Équipe reports the country’s sole dedicated academy has built a model others envy.

Hicham Boudaoui, who faced Argentina on Tuesday, is among them. The others are Ramy Bensebaini, Yacine Titraoui, Adil Boulbina and Nadhir Benbouali. Youcef Atal and Adem Zorgane, also Paradou products, could have joined them after featuring at the CAN in Morocco.

President Hassen Zetchi says the youngsters grew up at Paradou and see the club as a second family. Founded in 1994 in Algiers by brothers Hassen and Kheïreddine Zetchi and friends from a ceramics business, the club prioritised youth and in 2007 partnered with Jean-Marc Guillou.

That collaboration ended after nine years, just as the first homegrown wave began to shine and move to Europe, including Farid El-Melali. Having poured in significant funds, Paradou then relied on player sales, while breakthroughs at Union Saint-Gilloise, Dortmund and La Gantoise burnished its reputation.

Each season the club targets three to four departures. Training compensation on former players also helps, and deals often include sell-on percentages, as with Titraoui to Charleroi.

Academy director Joël Crahay, appointed last summer, says current trials brought more than 400 players in eight days and that Paradou is a shop window for Europe. He believes the academy ranks alongside Génération Foot and Mohamed VI among Africa’s top three.

Source: L'Équipe