Kayserispor's academy is targeting at least five national team call-ups for its players this season. The club's academy manager, İbrahim Samet Sarıoğlu, laid out the objective clearly in a statement to Demirören News Agency.
Sarıoğlu said, "We aim to send at least five players to our national team this season, if fate allows." The executive, who likened the academy to a production factory and the senior team to a workbench, stated the aim is for the club to grow relying on its own financial resources. Kayserispor currently sit top of the 1. Lig with 19 points from 8 matches, with a recent run of three wins, one draw, and one loss from their last five outings. The team's squad and stats are playing a key part in this success.
STRENGTHENING THE ACADEMY
Kayserispor's youth development work gained new momentum after President Ali Çamlı and the management took office and appointed İbrahim Samet Sarıoğlu to the role. The academy, which has modern facilities, now operates with full-time coaches working from 8 a.m. Until nearly midnight, a fundamental shift from the previous part-time system. Sarıoğlu highlighted the scale, noting, "We have approximately 400 footballers playing in our Kayserispor academy." Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Memduh Büyükkılıç contributed significantly to infrastructure repairs. Accommodation and meals are also provided for children coming from outside the city.
LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The academy's current goal is to lower the average age of players in its teams. The U-19 side now fields players born in 2008 or younger. The plan is for players to develop cohesion over 2-3 years in the same team before reaching the senior squad. This process encompasses moral development alongside physical training. The club emphasises that while donations and support from the city, mayor, and MPs have not left them alone, the ultimate goal is to stop being a burden on others and grow independently. Developing the academy and use its graduates is seen as the key to making financial independence easier.
Kayserispor will play 13th-placed Manisa F.K. At home on 10 October 2026 as they look to maintain their lead at the top of the 1. Lig. The team's fixtures schedule includes this important clash. The new talents emerging from the academy will serve not only the club's sporting success but also its vision of laying solid long-term foundations.
This story first appeared at Son Dakika
