FC Barcelona unveils Academy in Nigeria LASG pledges support

Lagos - The Chairman, Lagos State Sports
Commission, Deji Tinubu, on Tuesday said the
government would ensure the smooth
operation of FC Barcelona Academy in Nigeria
by supporting its plans for youths.
Tinubu made the promise at the unveiling of the
academy, named ``FCBESCOLA’’, which is to be
sited temporarily at the Teslim Balogun
Stadium, Surulere.
He said that football, one of the cardinal
programmes the government wanted to use to
encourage youth engagement in the economy
would continue to get the desired attention.
``Gov. Ambode made a promise at the inception
of his administration that sports will be part of
his drive towards a vibrant economy in Lagos
State.
``The state wants to use sports and
entertainment to put itself on the world map;
through youth engagement and economic
prospects; not
only the youth but also the entire citizenry.
``The FC Barcelona Academy in Lagos is the
first of its kind in Africa and this tells us that
when people talk about football in Lagos they
are talking about Barcelona.
``The club as one of the biggest brands in
modern day football will open its first football
academy in Africa in Lagos and every child in
the state will learn about their values,’’ he said.
Tinubu declared that he would personally fund
the training of 10 children in the academy as
part of his support.
``I will personally sponsor 10 children to the
academy because I so much believe in their
values as one of the most successful clubs in
the whole world.
``The academy has also promised to employ
10 indigenous coaches and create many
employments through the services that will be
rendered in the academy.
``Our youths will get the right value of
Barcelona FC which will be more beneficial the
development of football in Lagos, Nigeria and
Africa in general.
``It is a fantastic thing happening in Lagos,
being a model for the development of sports
and a trail blazer in economic drive through
sports,’’ he said.
Speaking, Seyi Akinwunmi, Ist Vice-president,
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said the birth
of the academy was a fulfillment of
the prophesy made about five years ago.
``I predicted it about five years ago that
Barcelona will come to Lagos to have a model
of how to play good football and here we are to
witness the fulfillment.
``I am happy that the academy is starting off
from Lagos, football in Nigeria is back to its
root and we will be having great ideas as a
model.
``Our kids will learn how to play the pattern of
Barcelona which is high pressing, high
possession and quality football which we have
been trying to emulate in our age grade teams.
``Lagos has been selected to be an
ambassador of good things to happen in
Nigerian football and it will also win a place on
the world stage,’’ he said.
Akinwunmi also pledged to send five children to
the academy.
On the vision, mission and the model which the
academy will adopt in its operation, the
academy’s Sport Director in Nigeria, Lesile
Oghomienor, said it would be a world standard.
``We are planning to have a 7,000 capacity
academy stadium with all the sports facilities
such as gyms offices and training pitches.
``The academy will also admit children from
ages six to 18 that are good for grassroots
development. We hope to do that within the
next
two years.
``We hope that in the next few years, products
of our academy will win the U-17 World Cup for
Nigeria.
The Project Manager for FC Barcelona in
Europe and Africa Football Schools, Inaki
Gonzallo, said the academy would adopt the
same curriculum used to train the successful
products of the academy in Nigeria.
``We have produced many world class
footballers from our academy and we will use
the same curriculum in the Nigerian academy.
``The academy has been successful in bringing
up great footballers around the globe playing
for big clubs, I hope Nigeria’s case is not
far from that,’’ he said.
FCBESCOLA will open on Sept. 17 at the Teslim
Balogun Stadium as temporary site.