Strasbourg are slowly becoming one of the most exciting teams in Europe… but to the dismay of their fans

Fast, powerful, energetic, enthralling and… young? Strasbourg are beginning to accumulate a lot of attention around Europe and deservedly so. Easily the youngest squad in Europe with an average age of 21.8 years old, ex Hull-City boss Liam Rosenior has got them playing some beautiful stuff.

Les Bleus en Blanc have 5 wins in their last 6 games whilst only conceding 1 goal in the process. After a pretty turbulent start to the 2024/25 season which saw Strasbourg hovering just above the relegation places, Rosenior has tweaked his style which has seen his side become more direct and compact and consequently led to them shooting up the table. 

This squad is absolutely littered with talent and if I was to name every player I think is promising, I’d be naming half the team. In goal, defence, midfield and attack there are at least 2 players who are undoubtedly already being monitored by some of Europe’s best clubs. Some of the pick of the bunch include Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos who we have previously written extensively about; Portuguese full-back Diego Moreira who’s been brilliant converted from a touchline winger to become one of the most exciting left-backs in the country and Sebastian Nanasi who has impressed with his intelligence and eye for a pass. Dilane Bakwa and recent signing from Southampton Samuel Amo-Ameyaw also look to have very bright futures ahead of them.

A lot of credit must go to Rosenior for the transformation of this Strasbourg team. We are seeing more and more of an emphasis on youth in football and as a result, we are seeing a lot of clubs struggle to produce results with their starting eleven mainly being made up of young players - the likes of Tottenham and Chelsea spring to mind. Being able to turn a group of kids into such a well-oiled and cohesive team in such a short period, is only one example that demonstrates what sort of manager we are dealing with here. He speaks with so much conviction and power which makes it no surprise to me that he’s able to drill all of his ideas into his players so quickly. His style of football is also so diverse and fluid - with his team operating a range of different formations with and without the ball during a game. 

I believe the most telling sign of a good manager is one who can turn ‘a prospect’ into a top-level footballer, basically how well can you improve a player, and Roenior is doing this with his whole team. Nobody expected Strasbourg to be this good this quickly and although the recruitment behind the scenes has been excellent, you need someone at the helm who can turn all these ingredients into a Michelin-star meal. I think in 5 years Rosenior will be looked at as one of the best managers across Europe.

Strasbourg are very exciting right now but everything comes at a cost. After BlueCo, who also own Chelsea, acquired Strasbourg. They ripped up the foundations of the club and began building a side with a huge emphasis on youth - hence we find ourselves in this position. Buta proportion of the fans aren’t as excited as me, in fact quite the opposite. Some Strasbourg fans want BlueCo out as soon as possible. They believe the soul of the club has been torn up - club legends such as current Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels, were promptly sold and replaced with virtually children. Fans believe they have become nothing but a feeder club for Chelsea and so you will often see them protesting at home games, through banners and signs or being silent for the first 15 minutes of a game to make the frustration clear. Although these protests have slightly died down in recent months due to the upturn in Strasbourg’s form, discontent still reigns free in the heart of the Stade de la Meinau.

It just goes to show that nothing is ever always sunshine and rainbows and the board at Strasbourg can’t instantly gain their fans trust and belief through spending big on promising players. But, if this form continues and Strasbourg find themselves in Europe next season, even the biggest anti-BlueCo supporter will have a difficult time being annoyed.

Strasbourg will continue to purchase some of the most talented up and coming footballers from around the world and if they are able to maintain the core of their squad and keep Rosenior, I have no doubts that in a season or two we will be looking at a club on the brink of a Champions League spot. 

There’s a lot to like right now. Brilliant players being led by a brilliant manager and I implore any football fan reading this to most certainly watch out for Rosenior’s boys because something special is brewing…