Sport
The top players to graduate from the Clairefontaine Academy
Youth academies are designed to hone and support stars of the future and nowhere has done this quite like the Clairefontaine Academy. Based just outside of Paris, the Clairefontaine Academy has seen the French Football Federation nurture some of the most talented players the game has ever seen. Taking in talent from across the world, many of the academy’s graduates have gone on to win all the biggest prizes that football can offer. With that in mind, who are some of the top names to graduate from the Clairefontaine Academy?
Nicolas Anelka
Despite bouncing from club to club throughout his career, few can argue that Nicolas Anelka was one of the best strikers of his generation. With explosive pace and a keen eye for goal, Anelka was able to win trophies with several European giants such as Arsenal, Real Madrid and Chelsea. Having attended the academy from 1993-1995, Anelka signed for PSG after graduating in 1995. Even if his stunning form didn’t eventuate until he joined Arsenal in 1997, there’s no denying that Anelka’s talents always showed that he belonged with the best clubs anywhere on the planet.
Mehdi Benatia
Clairefontaine has nurtured plenty of African stars during its long history but few have been as successful as Mehdi Benatia. The French-born Morocco international caught many scouts eyes thanks to his precise tackling, imperious aerial abilities and coolness under pressure. After graduating from the academy in 2002, Benatia enjoyed spells with Guingamp and Marseille before debuting with L’OM in 2005. Benatia’s success would come later in his career winning major trophies with both Bayern Munich and Juventus. Benatia also enjoyed more fame with Morocco captaining his adopted homeland to an amazing fourth place at the 2022 World Cup. An iconic defender who never lacked in form or commitment.
Blaise Matuidi
There have been few midfielders in the 2000s that have been as commanding or as driven as Blaise Matuidi. Matuidi’s ability to always drive play forward and play devastating passes made him an asset for any team he played for. Matuidi spent three seasons at the Clairefontaine Academy and dovetailed his time there rising through the youth ranks of both Creteil and Troyes. After turning pro with Troyes in 2004, it would be with Paris Saint-Germain that Matuidi became an elite midfielder leading PSG to no less than 4 straight titles before leaving to join Juventus. More silverware followed for Matuidi in Italy making him one of the most successful midfielders of his generation.
Raphael Guerreiro
It’s not just French stars that graduate from the academy either. A great example of this is Portugal star Raphael Guerreiro. Born in France to Portuguese parents, Guerreiro spent three seasons at Clairefontaine having been raised in the Parisian suburbs. The left back caught the eye of many scouts due to his explosive pace, excellent tackling and accurate passing. After graduating from the academy in 2008, he moved to Caen before enjoying rich spells with the likes of Borussia Dortmund. After debuting for the Portuguese national side in 2014, Guerreiro also was part of the Portugal side that won Euro 2016 adding international honours to his burgeoning professional career.
Thierry Henry
The posterboy of French football in the early 2000s, everything for Thierry Henry started at the Clairefontaine Academy. It was here where Henry honed his explosive bursts of pace and refined his trademark finishing abilities. Henry was at Clairefontaine for just one year in 1992 before AS Monaco signed him to their books and debuted him in early 1994. From there, Henry’s career only took off further with memorable spells with both Arsenal and Barcelona. Having also won the World Cup and also been a former record goalscorer for Les Blues, it’s fair to say that Henry more than lived up to his overall potential.
