May 17 – Romania’s top tier clubs have invested €11.5 million in their youth academies over the last 2023/24 season, according to figures from by the Romanian Football Federation (FRF).
Data published by the FRF shows each of the 16 teams from Romanian Superliga has invested an average of € 720,000, an increase of 13% compared to 2022 and 63% compared to 2019.
63% of the total amount invested is by five clubs: Rapid Bucharest, Universitatеa Craiova, Farul Constanta, FCSB and Sepsi.
In June 2021, the Romanian Football Federation amended its U21 player rule to increase investment in academies. Thus, clubs now have to have one U21 player on the field while a minimum financial threshold for investment in their own academy has been introduced. Academy licensing criteria were increased from 60 to 75 points – clubs meet the minimum point level to obtain a license to play in the Superliga.
At the same time the FRF introduced criteria for financial transparency and auditing of expenses for academies. All clubs that want to play in the Romanian Superliga have to conduct a manfatory audit of expenses and publish the results.
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