The Athletic states that AZ, along with Club Brugge and Red Bull Salzburg, are among the top clubs dominating the European football world. This is a notable change in the football world, as The Athletic points out that six clubs have traditionally sold the most talents to these competitions: Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, Porto, Benfica, and Sporting CP. AZ's consistent sales of emerging talents to the five major European football competitions since 2020 are a key factor in this shift. According to The Athletic, examples of players sold by AZ include Ernest Poku, Tijjani Reijnders, and Teun Koopmeiners. AZ's youth development head, Paul Brandenburg, has spoken about the club's approach to developing young players, stating that they have a clear idea of the level they want to achieve with their players and have continuously adapted their development program. The VriendenLoterij Eredivisie is the competition in which AZ competes.