Lazio have the oldest average starting 11 across Europe’s top five leagues this season.
As seen in a post on OptaPaolo’s Twitter page earlier today, the Biancocelesti have not selected a player under the age of 23 in Serie A so far this season, with their average starting 11 age being 29 years and 307 days old.
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The Roman squad under coach Simone Inzaghi has the oldest average starting 11, with young stars like Nicolo Armini or Raul Moro often relegated to either the Primavera squad or the first team’s bench.
One aspect of Inzaghi’s management that has received criticism from fans over the last few years is his decision not to trust in young players, with a famous example being 21-year-old Portuguese forward Pedro Neto.
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Neto joined the Biancocelesti from Braga on a loan deal with a buy obligation attached and did impress in training, but failed to make the jump to the first team, only making five appearances for a total of 55 minutes.
In the summer of 2019 Neto joined Premier League side Wolves, and since then has scored 10 goals and provided 10 assists across 78 appearances for the English side, proving his worth.
29y 307d – #Lazio have the oldest average starting XI age across the top 5 Euro Leagues this season, selecting no player under 23 this season in Serie A. Aged.@OptaAnalyst looks at the clubs are leading the way with the development of young players: https://t.co/avAQlyni2h
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) April 8, 2021
