Academy training for Chelsea FC PDF

In 2016, the Academy was awarded Category One status following an independent audit by the Premier League.

The audit process forms part of the League’s monitoring of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), created in 2012 and designed to increase the quantity and quality of homegrown English players.

The categorisation system permits the best-ranked academies more contact time with young players and ensures their development teams participate in the elite competitions at youth level.

Up to 10 different factors are considered in the grading including productivity rates, training facilities, coaching, welfare and education provisions.

The Academy teams compete in an extensive games programme in the Professional Development Phase (Under-17+).

These are split between the Under-18s, Under-19s and development squad, with the latter two generally formed of the same group of players and coaching staff.

Our development squad’s league commitments are in Premier League 2, which succeeded the Under-21 Premier League in the summer of 2016.

This saw the age parameters increased to Under-23 and the introduction of two tiers, with promotion and relegation between the two, while our oldest academy age group was rebranded from ‘the Under-21s’ to ‘the development squad.’

Home games are generally played at Aldershot Town or Stamford Bridge.

This age group also compete in the Leasing.com Trophy, a senior Football League competition which features the 48 club sides from League One and League Two.

From the summer of 2016, 16 Category One development teams were invited to participate in the competition, initially on a trial basis.