We will work closely with Sheffield United

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Danetheblade

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Quite a few points regarding the new club the prince has bought in the french ligue 2..

Trotignon’s optimism despite the club’s on-field struggles this season can be put down to the recent takeover by United World, the pyramid of clubs pioneered by United owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.


“We believe this will take Chateauroux to another level in terms of the technical side of football, commercial and best practice,” adds the club’s newly returned managing director about a set-up that also boasts Belgian top-flight outfit Beerschot, Dubai’s Al Hilal United and Kerala United from India on its roster.


“The discussions (over the takeover) between United World Group’s CEO and the club started in the winter of this season. The deal was finalised mid-March.


“Now, we can call Sheffield United, Beerschot, Al-Hilal or the United World headquarters (in Geneva) if we need any help. Already, the club has had the highest social media growth in France Ligue 2 for February and March.


“That was because of the United World Group arriving in Chateauroux.”


Home for La Berrichonne de Chateaouroux, to give the 105-year-old club its full title, is the well-appointed Stade Gaston Petit.


Located a short walk from the town centre, the stadium’s four covered stands are capable of holding around 17,000 fans. Since late October, however, no supporters have been present at home games due to nationwide restrictions brought in to try and contain COVID-19.


It means the construction work that has been going on next door in recent months has largely gone unseen by all but those who live locally. The building project in question is designed to take a club already renowned for its ability to hone young talent to the next level.


“We have a new academy being built,” explains managing director Trotignon about a state-of-the-art complex that will also house the first-team training ground and offices. “The facility will be ready by January 2022. It was one of the main reasons why United World bought the club.


“The new infrastructure will be very important to the future of the club and the project. Investment was needed to make the training ground be at the top.


“It is on the same site as the stadium, which was improved when we played in the first division (in 1997-98). This period made it necessary to improve the facilities: now the same for the academy.


“From February, all the parts of the club will be on the same site. That is important.”


Chateauroux’s reputation for developing young talent was a big attraction to United World, whose chief executive officer, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, described France as “one of the biggest, if not the biggest, factory of football talents worldwide” on conclusion of the £2.5 million takeover last month.


Florent Malouda, a World Cup finalist in 2006 and later part of the Chelsea side who lifted the Championship League, started his career at the club in the second division, making his debut as a 16-year-old.


The talent that would later take Stephane Dalmat to Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan was also first identified by Chateauroux’s youth scouts, while Brentford swooped for Said Benrahma in a £2.7 million deal only after he had netted 12 times in 34 appearances during a spell on loan in Ligue 2 from Nice in 2017-18.


Others to have crossed the English Channel to play in the Premier League after coming through Chateauroux’s youth system include Bakary Sako, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jimmy Kebe and Lamine Kone. Haissem Hassan, a former France youth international currently at Villarreal, is the next graduate expected to make it big in senior football.


“One of the reasons United World came to Chateauroux is our academy,” says Trotignon, who was the club’s director of football in the 1990s and helped set up a youth system that has since become one of France’s most renowned talent production lines.


“Our academy will now be working closely with the academies in Sheffield and Beerschot to apply the best practice to develop a technical plan. We will all benefit from this sharing of resources.


“To me, it is very interesting. Each country — England, Belgium and France — has its own football culture but we are now together.


“For a number of years, France has been a country recognised for the quality of its development. Chateauroux built its economic and sports model on the basis of its academy, taking place in 1995.


“The structure and quality of management have enabled Chateauroux to maintain its reputation as one of the leading academies in the country — one of the best in France.

Not all bad eh?
 

Shoes off if they get their new academy building before we get our new training ground.

In all seriousness though, the links with overseas clubs at least seems to be being done with some structure and long-term aims in place. And in countries close-by (France, Belgium) and renowned for producing footballing talent, aka not China, Australia or Hungary.
 
In our connected world measured entirely by social media, it does seem beneficial for us to "follow" the other clubs. Especially if some of our players are loaned overseas, or if theirs are good enough for us. And of course in 5 years time the Johnstones Paint Trophy world super league final will be Blades v Chateauroux, having defeated Al Hilal and Beerschot in the semi's. :tumbleweed:
 
Forgot to add this part too.

A clear defined pathway that could involve moves to either Belgium or England will surely only make Chateauroux more attractive going forward.


This is the founding principle behind United World, an umbrella group of clubs who, by design, occupy different levels of football around the globe.


Sheffield United sit at the top, then come Belgians Beerschot — who last weekend sealed a ninth-place finish in their first season back in the Jupiler Pro League after earlier sitting top of the table — and then, since last month, Chateauroux. Al Hilal United in Dubai, set up early last year by Prince Abdullah, and Indian third-tier outfit Kerala United complete the stable.


By having five clubs at differing levels of football, the plan is to move players up and down the pyramid to aid their development. Ismaila Coulibaly, for instance, arrived at Bramall Lane last summer but was immediately loaned out to Beerschot, where, in January, the Mali international was joined by United’s young midfielder George Broadbent.


Coulibaly’s loan agreement is understood to be for three years, though United do have a recall option at any time for a player linked with a possible £10 million move to AC Milan after an explosive start to life in Belgium where he scored five goals in his first dozen appearances.


Chateauroux’s impending addition to the United World set-up also paved the way for Prince Ibara, a Congo international forward, to join the Ligue 2 club on loan from Beerschot in January. Those bonds are expected to grow further next season.


“There will be players moving between the clubs,” adds Trotignon, whose CV also includes stints with Paris FC, Grenoble and Rubin Kazan in Russia. “That is the objective. Now, we have the same departments as the United World Group have in Sheffield United and Beerschot. We will work closely together.”


Increased integration off the field will also follow with a cornerstone of how United World operates involving the various staffs pooling ideas on marketing, retail and ticketing, as well as football.

It seems we're using the other clubs as a way of progressively introducing youth talents into the game, rather than a "shit or bust" method.

all sounds really good to be fair, definitely a mile away from what we're used to in recent history.
 
Don't suppose they want to take Lundstrum on loan till the end of the season do they? 😄
 
'Patrick Trotignon has known the good times at Chateauroux..'

Ahh, always wondered where he ended up after he was replaced by Jon Pertwee.
gerrim signed,,,we would never loose a game with him in team, he could just keep jumping back in time to score that goal or make the save....
 
What about adding a Scandinavian (Norwegian) club to the stable. Plenty of decent footballers from that part of the world.

Wouldnt be a bad idea to have an active academy our there picking up some of the better young talent. Mick Speight was involved in Norwegian football wasn't he?
 

Brazil, Argentina anyone? They're not bad for producing good footballers,
So I've heard.
 
Do EU based footballers get special dispensation to come to England and play?
Most would likely need to go to Beerschoot for a season so they would be eligible, unless Chateauroux get to Ligue 1 of course in which case we would need them to play in over 90% of games and maybe be called up for international honours.
 
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“Already, the club has had the highest social media growth in France Ligue 2 for February and March.”

That’s some claim.
 
“Already, the club has had the highest social media growth in France Ligue 2 for February and March.”

That’s some claim.
It looks a beautiful and cultured town. Would be great fun spending a few days there should a friendly be arranged during the summer.
 
Not necessarily. It depends on how much it has cost, the possibilities for future development but of course, making sure one is sorting out it's own affairs at home at the same time
It looks to me like we’ve failed on the main objective whilst pissing around buying other clubs.

When we’ve got some Keralan wonder kid banging 30 goals a season in with a swashbuckling Emirati midfielder sat behind him maybe I’ll change my tune.
 
It looks to me like we’ve failed on the main objective whilst pissing around buying other clubs.

When we’ve got some Keralan wonder kid banging 30 goals a season in with a swashbuckling Emirati midfielder sat behind him maybe I’ll change my tune.
This is Sheffield United your talking about......, Dream on....... ;)
 

Quite a few points regarding the new club the prince has bought in the french ligue 2..

Trotignon’s optimism despite the club’s on-field struggles this season can be put down to the recent takeover by United World, the pyramid of clubs pioneered by United owner Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.


“We believe this will take Chateauroux to another level in terms of the technical side of football, commercial and best practice,” adds the club’s newly returned managing director about a set-up that also boasts Belgian top-flight outfit Beerschot, Dubai’s Al Hilal United and Kerala United from India on its roster.


“The discussions (over the takeover) between United World Group’s CEO and the club started in the winter of this season. The deal was finalised mid-March.


“Now, we can call Sheffield United, Beerschot, Al-Hilal or the United World headquarters (in Geneva) if we need any help. Already, the club has had the highest social media growth in France Ligue 2 for February and March.


“That was because of the United World Group arriving in Chateauroux.”


Home for La Berrichonne de Chateaouroux, to give the 105-year-old club its full title, is the well-appointed Stade Gaston Petit.


Located a short walk from the town centre, the stadium’s four covered stands are capable of holding around 17,000 fans. Since late October, however, no supporters have been present at home games due to nationwide restrictions brought in to try and contain COVID-19.


It means the construction work that has been going on next door in recent months has largely gone unseen by all but those who live locally. The building project in question is designed to take a club already renowned for its ability to hone young talent to the next level.


“We have a new academy being built,” explains managing director Trotignon about a state-of-the-art complex that will also house the first-team training ground and offices. “The facility will be ready by January 2022. It was one of the main reasons why United World bought the club.


“The new infrastructure will be very important to the future of the club and the project. Investment was needed to make the training ground be at the top.


“It is on the same site as the stadium, which was improved when we played in the first division (in 1997-98). This period made it necessary to improve the facilities: now the same for the academy.


“From February, all the parts of the club will be on the same site. That is important.”


Chateauroux’s reputation for developing young talent was a big attraction to United World, whose chief executive officer, Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, described France as “one of the biggest, if not the biggest, factory of football talents worldwide” on conclusion of the £2.5 million takeover last month.


Florent Malouda, a World Cup finalist in 2006 and later part of the Chelsea side who lifted the Championship League, started his career at the club in the second division, making his debut as a 16-year-old.


The talent that would later take Stephane Dalmat to Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan was also first identified by Chateauroux’s youth scouts, while Brentford swooped for Said Benrahma in a £2.7 million deal only after he had netted 12 times in 34 appearances during a spell on loan in Ligue 2 from Nice in 2017-18.


Others to have crossed the English Channel to play in the Premier League after coming through Chateauroux’s youth system include Bakary Sako, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jimmy Kebe and Lamine Kone. Haissem Hassan, a former France youth international currently at Villarreal, is the next graduate expected to make it big in senior football.


“One of the reasons United World came to Chateauroux is our academy,” says Trotignon, who was the club’s director of football in the 1990s and helped set up a youth system that has since become one of France’s most renowned talent production lines.


“Our academy will now be working closely with the academies in Sheffield and Beerschot to apply the best practice to develop a technical plan. We will all benefit from this sharing of resources.


“To me, it is very interesting. Each country — England, Belgium and France — has its own football culture but we are now together.


“For a number of years, France has been a country recognised for the quality of its development. Chateauroux built its economic and sports model on the basis of its academy, taking place in 1995.


“The structure and quality of management have enabled Chateauroux to maintain its reputation as one of the leading academies in the country — one of the best in France.

Not all bad eh?

"
Never knew we had a headquarters Geneva (lovely place).

I get why people would be nervous of the Prince owning too many clubs, but I am not sure he owns them all outright?, I am not sure who else is part of, or investing in "United World", but on paper, this would sound like potentially a smart set up.
 
It looks to me like we’ve failed on the main objective whilst pissing around buying other clubs.

When we’ve got some Keralan wonder kid banging 30 goals a season in with a swashbuckling Emirati midfielder sat behind him maybe I’ll change my tune.
This has nothing to do with Sheffield United though. It's not like our money has been diverted to them?
I see the benefit given we're the top of the pyramid, but where's the downside? Ignoring the moral element of essentially using smaller clubs to traffic players to us of course.
 

This has nothing to do with Sheffield United though. It's not like our money has been diverted to them?
I see the benefit given we're the top of the pyramid, but where's the downside? Ignoring the moral element of essentially using smaller clubs to traffic players to us of course.
I’m not talking about the money side, just the management side.

I’m focused on my business, if I go pissing around buying other smaller businesses in the same industry I’d lose focus.

It’s a vanity project IMO and until I see a few players coming from the other clubs I can’t see my mind changing.
 

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