Following two successful seasons in terms of results, the club has decided to shift its objectives to focus exclusively on developing the best young players to effectively prepare the next generation for our first team. Thus, the Galacticos 2024 Project is now composed solely of U19 players, establishing a very close relationship with the first team. This decision, made unanimously for the future of Saint-Laurent’s reserve program, meant that the group would face significant challenges on and off the field due to their young age. Currently 8th in the standings with 3 wins, 6 losses, and 3 draws, the head coach and technical director of the club, Andrea Romanelli, remains calm.

“From the outside, it may seem negative, but you have to understand the context and the goals we have set for ourselves. We knew that by having young players, we would face several challenges due to the immaturity of the group. Having a high-level mentality, demonstrating resilience, being competitive and performing, managing games and their emotions, following a strict framework, and meeting our standards (80% and above) in everything they do, is what we have been instilling every day from the beginning. That is what training is: experiencing all of this over a season, no matter the result. The group’s ranking is not a direct indicator of our players’ promotion to the first team; it is the consistency of each one’s performances every week that will determine who can join the first team, and that is very important to understand. In the reserve team, all teams make the playoffs; our only goal is to sign players with the first team, and we are on the right track.”

Despite the unfavorable results so far, we can see a very talented team that has made significant progress with the identity and playing principles similar to those of the first team. “All the unsuccessful matches have been very tight and fiercely contested while respecting our ideas, and that is super important for us. Performing, respecting our values, our way of playing, and finally losing by one goal is frustrating, but the groundwork is still being laid for our young players.”

A Professional Environment and Support Never Seen in Quebec

Our young players are treated like pros. With the new direction, we have also changed the approach and attention towards the reserve team. Our players benefit from 3-4 weekly training sessions with video sessions. They also enjoy personalized physiotherapy and physical preparation services. They are surrounded by a head coach, two assistants, and an equipment manager. Nicholas Razzaghi, the head coach of the first team, shares his vision of this unique professional environment in Quebec: “We have set very high standards for our reserve team. The goal is to prepare these young players not only for our first team but also for a professional career. We offer them the same resources and level of support as the first team so that they can develop in the best possible conditions.”

The Project is Already Bearing Fruit: Young Players Impressing

With the support and high standards set since the beginning of the season, we can already observe some young players developing at a rapid pace thanks to the rigorous methods established by the technical staff. “We have individual goals for each player, and they must do everything to achieve them in every training and every match. Moreover, we see that some are progressing very well thanks to our high demands, which has allowed them to be called up by the first team to play some games and train regularly with them,” mentions head coach Andrea Romanelli. Jessy Katanga, Romanelli’s right-hand man since 2023 and involved in the semi-pro program, adds: “We are already seeing the benefits of this rigorous approach. The young players are exposed to a high-performance environment, which accelerates their development. We have strict criteria, and we expect every player to meet the high standards we have set. This process is essential for their progression and to ensure a smooth transition to the first team.”

Following the incredible success of the first team and the players who signed pro after three years of existence, the door for young players will certainly be even more open to start a new cycle in 2025. “There is nothing better for our 17, 18, and 19-year-olds than to play against 21-year-old and older players to prepare them for the higher level. Exposing our young players to older opponents was an important factor in the decision to rejuvenate the reserve team,” says coach Andrea.

In conclusion, the Galacticos 2024 Project is part of an ambitious and structured dynamic, aiming to train the talents of tomorrow by offering them a unique professional environment in Quebec. The initial results, although sometimes mixed in terms of victories, show undeniable progress on an individual and collective level. The club’s and its leaders’ commitment, such as Nicholas Razzaghi and Jessy Katanga, to youth development promises to bear fruit, paving the way for a generation of players ready to reach the highest level of Canadian football.