LaLiga Strengthens its Commitment to Youth Development

omidbasir- LaLiga proudly showcases its commitment to youth development. With updated data following the winter transfer market, the Spanish league reinforces its leadership in terms of market value for homegrown players compared to the other top four European leagues. According to Transfermarkt, Spanish academy-trained footballers hold a market value of €1.477 billion, leading the English Premier League at €1.005 billion and significantly surpassing the Bundesliga (€563 million), Serie A (€415 million), and Ligue 1 (€471 million).

The gap with the English league has widened since last September, when LaLiga’s youth players were valued at €1.460 billion compared to the Premier League’s €1.076 billion. These figures solidify LaLiga’s commitment to grassroots development, coinciding with the launch of the second phase of the Youth Development Plan, initiated in 2022 as part of the Impulse Plan.

“The goal is to eliminate the need to look outside; we aim to generate talent to reduce investment in professional football while increasing investment in grassroots football. Our perspective has evolved: previously, academies were viewed as a cost; now, they are seen as an investment. It will always be more cost-effective than signing foreign players. We want to ensure it is an investment, not an expense,” explained David García, Project Coordinator for Football at LaLiga, during a media briefing that included MARCA.

The first phase of the Youth Development Plan concluded last season with satisfactory results for LaLiga. Of the 44 indicators established for clubs to meet their objectives at the onset of the plan in October 2022, the compliance rate rose from 46.5% to 71% by July 2025.

A notable achievement was the improvement in training space utilization, which increased from 42.5% to 76.9% (enhancements in sports cities, residences, etc.). Furthermore, at the beginning of the plan, 55% of clubs had a women’s section in grassroots football, rising to 82.1% by June 2025.

The second phase of the Youth Development Plan will place special emphasis on mental health and the protection of underage players. LaLiga prioritizes the establishment of a psychological support channel for players, which was presented to clubs this week.

“Mental health support is no longer a taboo; it impacts performance, and it must be nurtured from the youth academies,” stated José Ángel García, a specialist and psychologist involved in LaLiga’s football projects.

One area where clubs showed significant improvement during the first phase of the Youth Development Plan was in comprehensive player care, with success rates increasing from 38.3% in October 2022 to 76% in July 2025. In this second phase, LaLiga aims to take further steps. “Our foundation is always the overall well-being of the players; first and foremost, we want them to be happy, and from there, we will build their training and football development,” noted José Ángel García.

This psychological support channel is designed for all clubs, aiming to provide specialized assistance regarding psychological matters. LaLiga seeks to help clubs implement best practice protocols and support their interactions with families. “This channel does not replace what clubs must do; rather, we want to optimize resources and assist them in improving and continuing to grow,” José Ángel added.

A new feature of the second phase of the Youth Development Plan includes a certification of excellence for clubs achieving 80% success in LaLiga’s indicators. The certifying body will be AENOR. So far, 12 clubs have reached or exceeded this 80% success threshold. The names of these clubs have not been disclosed, but announcements are expected in the coming weeks as clubs seek to obtain this certification.