Clermont Foot 63 has signed Ilyes Hamdia, a 19-year-old Moroccan central defender, on a three-year contract. He was named best defender of the season in U19 National. Ilyes Hamdia discovered football at FC Libourne before joining Girondins de Bordeaux. In 2021, he joined FC Marmande where he quickly became one of the leaders of the 2007 generation. As captain of the U17 Nationaux, the solid 1.94m defender participated in the club's impressive performances. His performances opened the doors to the Moroccan U17 selection in March 2024 for a friendly double confrontation against Tunisia. It was at the end of the 2023-2024 season that Ilyes Hamdia was spotted by Clermont Foot 63 to join their youth academy. And let's say that the young central defender has perfectly adapted to Auvergne. Regular starter this season with the U19 Nationaux, he has played 18 matches and contributed to his team's first place in the B group, ahead of FC Metz and Olympique lyonnais. The cherry on top: he was named best defender of the season in the U19 National championship. These performances allowed him to sign his first professional contract with the Ligue 2 club. And the adventure is far from over. After eliminating AS Monaco in the semi-finals, Ilyes Hamdia will play the U19 National championship final against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, June 13.