AZ Youth Academy

AZ Academy
Full nameAlkmaar Zaanstreek Youth Academy
GroundAFAS Training Complex, Netherlands
Capacity2,000
Head coachNetherlands Paul Brandenburg[1]
Websitewww.az.nl/jeugdopleiding

The AZ Youth Academy (Dutch: AZ Jeugdopleiding) is a football youth academy of Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. The academy is located and trains at the AFAS Training Complex, also known as Kalverhoek Stadium in Wijdewormer, Netherlands.[2]

The Youth Academy of AZ is divided into 9 squads: Jong AZ (compete in Eerste Divisie), under-19, under-17, under-16, under-15, under-13, under-12, and under-11.[3]

History

In 2008, AZ and SC Telstar make partnership, which means two academies of two clubs merged into one.[4][5] AZ also loaned several players to Telstar.[6][7] But after 3 years, AZ believed the partnership between the two clubs hasn't turned out as a good result and decided to terminate the contract on 1 July 2011.[6]

After the bankruptcy of AZ's sponsor DSB Bank in 2009, the club's survival was threatened, so the board has decided cut back everywhere to invest in the youth academy fully.[8][9]

In 2010, AZ Youth Academy achieved the highest number of points ever in the Netherlands at the KNVB Certification, with 5,744 points.[10]

In the early 2014, AZ planned to move their youth training centre to Kalverhoek Stadium in Zaanstad;[11][12] however, that led to a lawsuit between the municipality of Alkmaar and the club,[13][14] it ended with AZ won the case and finished stadium in 2016.[15][2] During 2015 to 2016, AZ won two successive Rinus Michels Award for the best youth academy in the Netherlands.[16][17][18]

Under-19

AZ Alkmaar under-19 in the ceremony after winning the UEFA Youth League in 2023.

AZ under-19 (Dutch: AZ onder-19) competes in the A-Junioren Eredivisie, the highest junior football division in the Netherlands.[19]

In the 2021–22 season, AZ under-19 made their first appearance in the UEFA Youth League, as the team placed first in the league before it was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. They advanced to the round of 16 and lost to Juventus FC on penalties.[20] In the 2022–23 season, AZ became the first Dutch club ever to go to the final[21] and win the UEFA Youth League, after defeating Hajduk Split 5-0 at the Stade de Geneve on 24 April 2023.[22][23][24] They also continued to compete in the 2023 Under-20 Intercontinental Cup and were only defeated by Boca Juniors 4–1 on penalty in the final.[25][26]

Honours

Under-19

Domestic

  • A-Junioren Eredivisie: 2024-25 (Autumn)[27]

International

Under-17

Domestic

  • B-Junioren Eredivisie: 2023

List of international players

This is a list of players who played for one of the AZ Youth Academy's teams and later became internationals for their respective countries:

Phillip Cocu, who has 101 appearances for the Netherlands national team.

References

  1. ^ "Hoofd Jeugdopleiding AZ luidt bel op de kaasmarkt". Gemeente Alkmaar. July 12, 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "AFAS Trainingscomplex". www.az.nl. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  3. ^ "Teams". www.az.nl. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  4. ^ "AZ sluit samenwerkingsverband met Telstar". NL. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  5. ^ "Ontevreden AZ stopt samenwerking met Telstar". vi.nl (in Dutch). 2011-05-19. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  6. ^ a b "AZ en Telstar beëindigen samenwerking". www.nhnieuws.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  7. ^ "Telstar heeft geen geld voor versterkingen en hoopt op hulp AZ | Voetbalzone". www.voetbalzone.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  8. ^ "Na het faillissement van DSB is AZ bij de jeugd al een Europese topclub geworden". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  9. ^ "Hoe de jeugdopleiding van AZ een van de beste ter wereld is geworden". VoetbalPrimeur.nl (in Dutch). 2025-04-02. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  10. ^ nldevoet-dehdari (2010-07-16). "AZ Jeugdopleiding behaalt recordscore Certificering". De VoetbalTrainer (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  11. ^ "AZ-complex definitief naar de Zaanstreek - AZ". www.az.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  12. ^ "AZ wil trainingscomplex in Zaanstreek". AD. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  13. ^ "Alkmaar daagt AZ vanwege verhuizen trainingscomplex". nu.nl. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  14. ^ "Alkmaar legt zich neer bij vertrek AZ-complex". www.nhnieuws.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  15. ^ "Rechter besluit dat AZ-complex in Zaanstad komt". Het Parool. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
  16. ^ "Hoofd Jeugdopleiding AZ luidt bel op de kaasmarkt". Gemeente Alkmaar (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  17. ^ "AZ prolongeert titel Beste Jeugdopleiding van Nederland". vi.nl (in Dutch). 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  18. ^ "Jeugdopleiding AZ opnieuw uitgeroepen tot beste van Nederland". www.nhnieuws.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  19. ^ "Eredivisie O19 2024/25 uitslagen & live scores, Nederland | Soccerway". nl.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  20. ^ "De UEFA Youth League is terug!". www.az.nl. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  21. ^ "AZ via strafschoppen naar finale Youth League, als eerste Nederlandse club ooit". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  22. ^ UEFA.com. "AZ Alkmaar's achievement: 2022/23 UEFA Youth League at a glance". UEFA. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  23. ^ "Jeugdploeg AZ sterkste van Europa na fraaie 5-0 zege in finale Youth League". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  24. ^ "Alkmaarse talenten heersen in Europa: 'AZ heeft beste jeugdopleiding van de wereld'". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-04-24. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  25. ^ UEFA.com. "Boca Juniors 1-1 AZ Alkmaar (4-1 pens): Hosts win Under-20 Intercontinental Cup 2023 in shoot-out". UEFA. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  26. ^ "Jeugdploeg AZ verliest finale wereldbeker van Boca voor 37.000 Argentijnse fans". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  27. ^ "A-Junioren Eredivisie U19 2024/2025 Herfst - 14. Spieltag". weltfussball.com (in German). Retrieved 2025-08-07.
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