European Leagues: Oldest average age of Starting XIs in top five European leagues this season

Not many managers prefer to have a squad filled with ageing legs in modern football. The reason is simple – in the fast-paced era, clubs that do not have a sufficient number of young pacy legs in their squad struggle to keep up with the big boys. Teams prefer to move the ball quicker from back to front and would love to have runners making movements behind the last line of opponents’ defence. Besides, in the current era, quick pressing and closing down have become a vital part of any team’s set-up when they do not have the ball.

In such a scenario, it is ill-advised to have a squad full of ageing players. Having said that it is also not an advisable thing to have a squad full of young players. Then they might lack the experience in big pressure moments. Therefore, managers often prefer to have their squads comprising of both senior and young players to maintain the perfect balance. However, some clubs have managed to get the most out of their experienced veterans and still have a successful season. It is those teams that will be analysed in depth in this article.

Which club has the oldest average age of Starting XI in top five European leagues this season?

Struggling German outfit VfL Bochum has the oldest average age of Starting XI in top five European leagues in the 2022-23 season. Their average age of Starting XI is 29 years and 362 days, according to data provided by Opta Analyst. Italian outfits are normally known for having plenty of older players in their squads compared to other nations. Hence, it is a surprise to see the Germans at the top of this list. Bochum are struggling big time in Bundesliga as they are languishing in the 15^th spot in the 18-team league.

The second in the table is French side Ajaccio with an average age of Starting XI at 29 years and 230 days. Ajaccio are neither having a season to remember, as they are placed at the 19^th spot in Ligue 1 and are in massive danger of getting relegated. Spanish side Cadiz complete the top three teams in the list and they are equally struggling like the other two sides. In the La Liga table, they are placed at the 14^th spot.

What surprises most is that there are only two Italian clubs in the top ten tally. Inter Milan are occupying the fourth spot in this table, while Lazio are sitting at seventh spot. Both these clubs are enjoying a positive campaign this time around. Despite recent run of poor results forcing Inter Milan to drop out of top four positions, they have been fairly consistent this season. On the other hand, Lazio have punched above their weight to be surprisingly sitting second in the Serie A standings.

La Liga clubs dominate this list

A total of six Spanish sides are present in the top ten list, which is not something many would expect to see. Apart from Cadiz, the table constitutes of Sevilla, Villarreal, Elche, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis. Atletico, Villarreal and Real Betis are occupying the top six positions in the La Liga table. It shows that they are able to make the most of the ageing players in their squads. It is important to note that there are no Premier League clubs in the top ten positions. Find out more about the clubs with the oldest average age of Starting XIs in top five European leagues in the 2022-23 campaign.

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