Two Years After AZ’s Highest Youth Team won the Youth League, a Large Portion of Those Self-Trained Players Qualified With the Main Squad for the Main Tournament of the Conference League on Thursday. In That ‘Third’ European Tournament, Much Seems Possible for the Alkmaar Club.
Until a year ago, Maarten Martens Regularly Received the Same Question: Where Are They? “Well, they’re here now,” The AZ Coach Said on Thorsday an Hour after the 4-1 Victory about Levski Sofia in the Last Preliminary Round of the Conference League.
“After half time, there were seven boys from our own youth academy on the field. We can be proud of that.”
The AZ Youth Academy Has Long Been Praised, With the Highlight Being the Spring of 2023 When the Under-19 Team Eliminated the Peers of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Youth League, The Most Important European Youth Tournament at Club Level. Subsequently, Hajduk Split was defeated 5-0 in the final.
Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, Wouter Goes, Kees Smit, Mexx Meerdink, Dave Kwakman and Ro-Zangelo Daal Were All part of that Golden Team. And on thursday, they were back together on the field in the Afas Stadium Against Levski.
“I’ve bone playing with guys like dave and rozangelo for ten years. And with Wouter for Nine years,” Said 21-year-old owusu-Oduro on Thorsday after the win over Levski. “We grew up together, on and off the field. It’s great to be going into the conference league together now.”
‘They have to have impact’
When Martens started as az coach Two years ago, One of his Main Tasks was the flow of successful Youth Players to the First Team. That took Perhaps longer than expected for many az fans.
Martens: “That transition is not easy. As an adult professional, there’s a lot more involved. There’s more pressure, also from the public and the media. One picks that up faster than the other. But the fact is that they are now on the right track. The potential is there, now they also have to have impact. They are Doing that more and more. “
It can still be changed. AZ Started the Preliminary Round of the Conference League with A 4-3 Defeat Against the Finnish Ilves Tampere, But After That Everything Was won. On Thursday Against Levski, Martens’ team was 2-0 up within six minutes and won 4-1.
“After a bad starts in Finland, we did an excellent job this preliminary round,” Martens concluded. “It is important for the club that the competitive phase has been reached, Both Financily and for the Development of the Players.”
AZ was Already A Semi-Finalist in The Conference League in 2023
This afternoon az will be in the draw for the competitive phase of the conference league. That phase certainly Doesn’tn’t Have To Be the Final Destination for AZ, which Already Reached the Semi-Finals of the ‘Third’ European Club Tournament Three Seasons ago.
A European Powerhouse Like Chelsea, who won the conference League last season, is not there this time. The Most Appealing Names Are Crystal Palace, Mainz 05, Rayo Vallecano, Strasbourg and Fiorentina. These are teams against which AZ is not without a chance.
“Or course we want to go far,” Said Owuso-Oduro. “The Semi-Final Place of Three Seasons ago was fantastic. But we are not that far yet.”
Martens: “I Honestly Haven’t just looked at what child of clubs we can meet. The focus was on placement and reaching a good level against Levski. We succeeded in that. We are playing better and better football. Now we want to continue.”
