[Outlook]
Future Foundations: Supporting Chinese football and establishing a landmark of a city.
After a tumultuous decade filled with challenges and hard-fought battles, AJ Auxerre Football Club has triumphantly returned to Ligue 1, the elite stage where the club has historically excelled. This promotion serves as a fitting testament to the club's unwavering commitment to adhering to its football training principles and youth development traditions, reflecting years of meticulous effort and continuous investment. As Auxerre returns to this familiar stage, a new chapter begins, heralding a promising future. At this pivotal moment of promotion, it's an opportune time to reflect on the club’s recent revival and rebirth. With a storied 116-year history, Auxerre is poised to march towards new heights of glory. This section will explore the club's ambitious blueprint for the future. Auxerre's future holds promising potential, whether in preserving its cherished traditions, expanding its collaboration with Chinese football, or establishing a distinctive cultural brand.
Since the inception of our partnership with Auxerre in 2016, ORG outlined two primary objectives: to guide Auxerre back to Ligue 1 while ensuring financial stability and restoring its historic prestige, and to contribute to the development of Chinese football by establishing a platform for Chinese coaches, players, and practitioners to enhance their skills. Over the years, these foundational goals have inspired us to courageously overcome challenges, reinforce the club’s traditional roots, strengthen its ties with the community, and steadfastly support the advancement of Chinese football.
Youth Development: Strengthening the club's foundations through youth training.
Focusing on youth training is a defining feature of AJ Auxerre and a cornerstone of its history. In a city of just 40,000 people, Auxerre has produced numerous football luminaries like Cantona, Diomède, Mexès, Cissé, and Sagna. These players, hailing from different eras, playing in diverse positions, and having earned numerous accolades, showcasing the exemplary standards of the club’s youth academy.
Auxerre's youth academy is celebrated for its systematic and comprehensive approach to training. The academy has been acclaimed as the best in France eight times and has directly developed over 200 professional players in nearly four decades. In the Coupe Gambardella, known as the French Youth Cup, Auxerre has been a dominant force, securing seven championships and two runner-up finishes, asserting its supremacy across French youth football. Internationally, Auxerre’s approach to nurturing young talent is regarded as a benchmark, serving as a model for numerous teams.
The philosophy at Auxerre places a strong emphasis on the development of young players and the cultivation of club culture through its youth training programs. The youth training center is equipped with comprehensive facilities, staffed by a highly professional coaching team, and supported by robust management, educational, and logistical frameworks. While ensuring high-quality training, the club also prioritizes the education of its young players. This commitment is reinforced by a robust network of educational partnerships, offering personalized education services tailored to the individual characteristics of players, earning widespread acclaim for its integrated approach.
Every season, Auxerre's youth academy consistently introduces talented players into the first team. Recent standouts such as Mersié, Joly, Deperrois, Sinayoko, Silvestre, and Ben Fredj are frequently included in the matchday squad and have made notable appearances on the field. Sinayoko has further distinguished himself by being selected for the Mali national team to compete in intercontinental tournaments. Other academy graduates have also shone on larger stages: Alé celebrated a championship win with Ajax in the Eredivisie this season, and Ndicka was part of the Frankfurt squad that clinched the Europa League title.
Despite organizational changes over recent years, Auxerre's dedication to youth training remains steadfast. The club has actively invested in enhancing its training facilities, exemplified by the construction of a new dormitory in 2016 and the comprehensive renovation of the youth academy in 2018.
Corporation: Enhancing multi-level partnerships and contributing to China’s football.
Since the beginning of its collaboration with Chinese counterparts, Auxerre has embarked on a series of initiatives leveraging its high-quality resources to foster cooperation with Chinese football. These initiatives span top-level communication, talent exchanges, and system construction, encompassing a rich and diverse array of activities.
On the eve of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup hosted in France, Auxerre provided comprehensive support to the China national women's football team. The club facilitated everything from training bases to hotel accommodations and transportation, significantly aiding the team’s preparation for the competition.
A pivotal aspect of the collaboration between Auxerre and Chinese football is youth training. In 2019, Auxerre partnered with the Jinshan District in Shanghai to establish the Auxerre China Youth Training Base. By deploying highly skilled and dedicated youth coaches to China, Auxerre not only offered Chinese youth coaches intimate learning and exchange opportunities but also exposed young Chinese players to sophisticated youth training concepts from an early age.
During their stint in China, Auxerre’s coaches applied the same high standards to the youth players as they would in a professional setting, instilling good habits early on. The training approaches and technical and tactical standards for the Chinese elite players were aligned with those of Auxerre’s own squads, ensuring consistency across all levels of the club. This alignment helped maximize the potential within the Auxerre youth system. The Jinshan Auxerre Elite Team consistently reached the semifinals in various tournaments and secured the runner-up position in the 2021 Shanghai Youth Elite Series, marking the best historical performance for Jinshan district's male football in the competition. During the pandemic, the coaching staff organized viewings of the first team’s league matches for the young players, further embedding Auxerre's brand values and philosophy in their minds.
Before the pandemic, Auxerre’s youth teams regularly participated in the “Jinshan Cup” International Youth Invitational Tournament in China and achieved commendable results. Visits to Chinese schools and immersion in Chinese culture were integral components of their visits, with a series of exchange activities helping to bridge the gap between French and Chinese youth football.
Auxerre, which maintains a global network with nearly 30 satellite teams worldwide, considers Chinese football one of its most crucial partnerships. Looking forward, Auxerre is committed to continuing its steadfast support for Chinese football. Beyond exchanges of players and coaches, the club plans to offer opportunities for Chinese football administrators to receive in-depth training in France. Additionally, Auxerre will also continue to improve Chinese youth academies, ensuring the club's esteemed brand value is prominently reflected in China.
Social Commitment and Urban Identity: Embracing responsibility and shaping the city's character.
As Auxerre embarks on a new chapter, the club is not only solidifying its traditions and strengthening ties with Chinese football but also emphasizing the cultivation of its own culture and deepening its connection with the city and its fans. This includes actively fulfilling its social responsibilities and striving to position the club as a landmark of the city.
Fan culture, which is integral to the club’s spirit, has been a focal point for Auxerre. In recent years, as team performance has improved and fan engagement initiatives have increased, the bond between local fans and the club has strengthened. The Stade Abbé-Deschamps, known for its high attendance rates, was filled to capacity by the season's end. The display of giant TIFOs in the stands, crafted by dedicated fans, adds a unique flavor to each match. The club also supports its fans by organizing buses for away games, thereby cultivating a home-like atmosphere that bolsters player morale and strengthens support during critical matches. Notably, before the decisive promotion battle against Saint-Étienne, 12 buses transported fans to the away game, where they celebrated the team's promotion firsthand.
Auxerre is committed to its role in the community, regularly involving players from all age groups in community engagement and charity activities. This integration of football with civic values and educational initiatives is a long-standing tradition at Auxerre. Furthermore, the club's management maintains a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with local municipal departments, further amplifying its influence.
Standing at this new juncture, we are filled with confidence and optimism for the future. Auxerre will continue to forge ahead, aiming to consolidate its achievements in youth training, support the development of Chinese football, and cultivate a distinctive club brand. Together, these efforts are creating a comprehensive vision that encompasses a bright future for the club, Chinese football, and the city of Auxerre.
