Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth minutes dwarf Bayern’s in Bundesliga

In the Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt give under‑21 players almost five times as many minutes as FC Bayern, where youth feature in just 6.5 % of total time; Frankfurt’s youngsters account for 31.5 % of all minutes on the pitch during the current season.

The data were supplied by the Premium Service of the Bundesliga Support platform, which offers a detailed Platz overview. Analysts provided a Blick into the database to verify the figures.

Domestic clubs with the most youth minutes

Transfermarkt’s analysis shows that, on a national level, Eintracht Frankfurt leads the Bundesliga in youth utilisation. The club’s under‑21 players accumulate 31.5 % of all league minutes, nearly five times the share recorded by FC Bayern.

Coach Adi Hütter has fielded eleven U21 players this season, with Elias Baum contributing the most at 615 minutes. Can Uzun (581), Keita Kosugi (540) and Noël Aséko (415) follow closely in the minutes tally.

Sixteen‑year‑old Niko Ilicevic, who made his debut two weeks ago, is already adding to the club’s youth minutes. Other Bundesliga sides such as FC Augsburg and 1. FC Köln also provide substantial opportunities for young players.

Augsburg’s U21 cohort has logged 2,322 minutes – 26.1 % of the club’s total – across eight players. Köln’s youngsters have amassed 2,302 minutes – 25.8 % – spread over six players.

Augsburg’s Hennes Behrens and Köln’s Jahmai Simpson‑Pusey have featured for the full ninety minutes in all nine league matches, making them the league’s workhorses. Both clubs also rank within the top ten across Europe for youth playing time.

The two clubs sit on nine points each, occupying 14th and 15th place in the Bundesliga table. Behrens is valued at €8.00 million, according to market estimates.

RB Leipzig, currently fourth in the table, allocate 23.8 % of their minutes to players under 21, roughly one in four minutes. Ezechiel Banzuzi (695), Antonio Nusa (653) and Tidiam Gomis (491) are the standout contributors.

Borussia Dortmund record 2,035 minutes – about 22.8 % – for their U21 squad. Joane Gadou (668) and Jobe Bellingham (644) account for the bulk of those minutes. Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga, level on points with FC Bayern.

Jobe Bellingham carries a market value of €40.00 million. At five Bundesliga clubs, the youth playing share falls below ten percent, a group that includes league leaders FC Bayern.

FC Bayern’s two U21 players, Lennart Karl (321) and Tom Bischof (261), together represent 6.5 % of the club’s total minutes – just over a fifth of Frankfurt’s share. Other clubs with notable youth involvement are Mainz 05 (8.7 %), FC Schalke (5.4 %), Werder Bremen (4.5 %) and SC Freiburg (3.4 %).

Santiago Castañeda of SC Paderborn has also not missed a single Bundesliga minute this season. Together with Behrens and Simpson‑Pusey, the trio are the only U21 players to have completed the full ninety minutes in all nine matches.

Ibrahim Maza (778) of Bayer Leverkusen and Kacper Potulski (710) of Mainz 05 follow them in the minutes ranking. In the 2. Bundesliga, 1. FC Nürnberg leads the league in youth utilisation.

European and second‑division benchmarks

Internationally, Racing Strasbourg sets the benchmark for youth minutes across Europe. Nürnberg, with an average squad age of 23.7 years, is the youngest side in the second division and records 4,210 minutes – 38.7 % – for players under 22. Key contributors include Javier Fernández (975), Eric Porstner (957), Piet Scobel (890) and Tim Janisch (835).