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DPA
Berlin
German football authorities are considering lowering the age threshold for young footballers to play professionally in the Bundesliga.
The Bild and Welt dailies said the plan by the German Football League DFL would allow clubs in the country’s top two divisions to field 16-year-olds from next season.
The German football federation DFB believes lowering the age is “justifiable,” Joti Chatzialexiou, its sporting director of national teams, said on Thursday.
“Basically, we think it is expedient to give young players as much time as possible for their individual development,” he said.
However, in exceptional cases “it can make sense to bring top talents to the highest level earlier, as is also shown by examples from abroad.”
To play professionally in Germany a player must either be 18 or already play for the younger age category of the Under-19s.
The Bundesliga’s youngest debutant remains Nuri Sahin who was 16 years and 335 days when he played his first game for Borussia Dortmund in August 2005. He was able to play as a younger Under-19 squad member.
Dortmund, who have an emerging young talent in 15-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko, are to submit the age proposal to a DFL assembly in March, it was reported.
Former Dortmund young star Lars Ricken said the Bundesliga currently had “a major competitive disadvantage” because it was not allowed to use exceptionally talented young players.
However RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann cautioned that young players would be exposed “to even more pressure” if they were promoted to senior football too early.
Berlin
German football authorities are considering lowering the age threshold for young footballers to play professionally in the Bundesliga.
The Bild and Welt dailies said the plan by the German Football League DFL would allow clubs in the country’s top two divisions to field 16-year-olds from next season.
The German football federation DFB believes lowering the age is “justifiable,” Joti Chatzialexiou, its sporting director of national teams, said on Thursday.
“Basically, we think it is expedient to give young players as much time as possible for their individual development,” he said.
However, in exceptional cases “it can make sense to bring top talents to the highest level earlier, as is also shown by examples from abroad.”
To play professionally in Germany a player must either be 18 or already play for the younger age category of the Under-19s.
The Bundesliga’s youngest debutant remains Nuri Sahin who was 16 years and 335 days when he played his first game for Borussia Dortmund in August 2005. He was able to play as a younger Under-19 squad member.
Dortmund, who have an emerging young talent in 15-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko, are to submit the age proposal to a DFL assembly in March, it was reported.
Former Dortmund young star Lars Ricken said the Bundesliga currently had “a major competitive disadvantage” because it was not allowed to use exceptionally talented young players.
However RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann cautioned that young players would be exposed “to even more pressure” if they were promoted to senior football too early.
