Laurent Lairy, president of Ligue 2 side Stade Lavallois, has announced that players will have to pay in order to join the club’s academy in the future.
Laval are known for having developed players such as Serhou Guirassy and Nordi Mukiele. The latter is now plying his trade at Paris Saint-Germain. However, the club’s academy has since closed. Lairy has said that should the club remain in Ligue 2 next season, the centre will re-open, but with a catch.
Should players want to join the academy, they will have to pay between €1500 and €2000, the president has announced. Lairy explained his controversial decision. “It’s a choice and I stand by it. I want the parents to financially contribute to the young player’s integration. I’m fed up with everything being free in football. Nobody respects anybody and I will therefore ask for a financial contribution,” he said.
Stade Laval are currently 15th in Ligue 2 and therefore set to avoid the drop into the National 1. Afer 26 games played, they have 31 points, six more than Rodez, who occupy the final relegation place. The chances of the club’s academy centre re-opening are therefore strong, but it won’t be accessible to all.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
