Season review by Laurent Huard, Head of the Academy

Building the rosters

Beyond the injuries we’ve dealt with this season, we’ve struggled because, according to our initial plan, some players were supposed to play more games with the reserve team. I’m talking about Kévin Pedro, Nadir El Jamali, Luan Gadegbeku, Paul Eymard, and Djylian N’Guessan, who ultimately played most of their matches with the first team—and that’s a good thing, because that’s the primary goal of the youth academy. It highlights the quality and hard work of all the coaches who contributed to their development. Of course, as every summer, this is something we need to keep in mind. But the risk of having too many players and depriving certain players of playing time must also be taken into account. We need to find the right balance. The primary goal of a youth academy is to supply the first team. And that remains the top priority, even though we have to ensure we achieve minimum results. That’s what we’ve tried to do. Even though some young players were brought up faster than expected, the overall outcome is still positive."

U17 National

10th in Group D - Coached by David le Moal - 40% U16 players per game

"First, let’s talk about the U16s, who are competing in a league focused on learning and discovery. The domino effect of rejuvenating our roster began with this group, which regularly fielded U15 players. Of course, the U17s also fielded a very “young” lineup at the start of the season. However, as the season progressed, we were able to bring back a few players, which allowed us to finish the season on a more positive note. This tenth-place finish is certainly very average if we look solely at the result. But within this generation of U17s, it’s worth noting that four players featured in the final match of the National 3 season. Consequently, the season was difficult in terms of results for those who played at this level. But looking back at the season, it’s clear that these young soccer players have learned, and that their learning extended beyond the field, where, in the face of adversity, they had to build momentum. It certainly wasn’t easy, but they didn’t give up. And that reassures us. Just like their victory a few weeks ago at the Festival d’Armor in Plougonvelin, where they dominated strong teams such as Rennes, Nice, and Paris FC."

U19 National

8th in Group D - Coached by Frédéric Dugand - 40% U17 and 50% U18 players per game, the youngest team in the group

"This team has also fielded many players from the U17 age group. As we’ve seen, other professional clubs that have also fielded younger players have faced difficulties: Nice and Toulouse, for example. Previously, there was a one-year age gap between players from professional youth academies and those from amateur clubs. Today, that gap is two years. We have to learn quickly and pick up points fast, especially in this league. Our group was tough and tightly contested: we could have finished higher, or lower as well (Les Verts finished two points from the top 5 and two points from the relegation zone). As for the U17 players who appeared in the Reserve team this season, the logical next step would have been to move them up to the U19s first. However, this double promotion was necessitated by several factors."

National 3

11th in Group G — Coached by Sylvain Gibert — Average age under 20, the second-youngest team in the group

"The outcome is positive, which allows us to look ahead, because we’re convinced that this league is a great learning experience. Many questions may arise, and we can’t ignore the fact that Paris, Angers, Monaco, and others are choosing to leave this league to create or join ‘Elite’ groups that bring together other professional club academies. Today, at AS Saint-Étienne, we believe this league is a great learning experience; it allows us to compete against adults, almost all of whom have now come through youth academies, which makes the groups increasingly difficult. No one has the whole truth—some clubs have different perspectives. Some are also forced into this situation: Strasbourg, Reims, Sochaux, Amiens, and Angers have been relegated. We can also mention Lyon and Rennes, who finished 11th like us, despite the reputation of their youth academies. So it’s complicated for everyone, but it’s certainly a great learning experience. We’ve asked some of our young players to mature fairly quickly this season—that’s the case for some of the 2009-born players like Mylan Toty, Aboubakar Traoré, and Nathan Kasia… We’d also like to thank some key players who really stepped up, such as Jules Mouton, who never hesitated to help the team. It’s worth underlining that we weren’t spared from injuries—take Meïvyn Agesilas, for example, who wasn’t able to contribute as much as he should have."

The Coaching Staff  

"It hasn't been an easy season for the coaches, but everyone hung in there and supported one another. First and foremost, I want to congratulate them on their attitude, because it's in difficult times that you see people's true character. All the coaches pulled in the same direction. They put the club's interests before those of their own teams. A team spirit has emerged, and that’s truly gratifying. In fact, everyone will continue this journey into the 2026–2027 season. I’d also like to take this opportunity to bid farewell to some of the young players who are leaving the Robert-Herbin Sports Center. There are choices to be made—they’re sometimes complicated—but they’re always decided collectively by the coaches and approved by the entire club. These players will continue on their journey, and I hope they maintain their determination. Their time with ASSE may be coming to an end, but their careers go on."