French club Strasbourg has etched its name in football history with an unprecedented achievement, starting their Ligue 1 season opener against Metz with a full lineup of players born in 2000 or later.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, under the guidance of coach Liam Rosini, Strasbourg became the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to field an entire starting XI composed of 21st-century players, in a match held on August 17.
The club repeated this feat in their clash against Brøndby in the first leg of the Conference League qualifying play-offs. They also faced Nantes in the second round of Ligue 1 with ten players born in the 21st century, leaving only veteran goalkeeper Carl-Johan Johnsson, aged 35, as the exception.
In the match against Nantes, the average age of Strasbourg’s starting lineup was 20 years and 4 days, with Argentine Joaquín Paničelli (22 years old) being the oldest outfield player on the pitch. This milestone broke a 78-year-old Ligue 1 record, previously held by Lille, which fielded a starting XI averaging 21 years and 171 days in the 1947-48 season.
This historic approach comes two years after the BlueCo Group, also owners of Chelsea, acquired Strasbourg, a move described by club president Marc Keller as the beginning of a new era. Keller stated: “We laid a strong foundation. If we want to move forward and elevate the club to a new level, we must build a structure capable of supporting our development and ambitions.”
Coach Rosini also expressed enthusiasm for working with young talents, saying at the start of last season: “We have a young squad, and I really like that. I have great confidence in the future given what we have achieved in a short period.”
Since 2023, Strasbourg has continued its upward trajectory, finishing seventh in Ligue 1 in the 2024-25 season and nearing qualification for the Conference League. The club has started the 2025-26 season strongly, currently holding fourth place with 6 points from two wins, trailing leaders Olympique Lyon, Toulouse, and Paris Saint-Germain only on goal difference.
