Sporting Lisbon to open football academy in Kurdistan

[unitedkurdistan]

The Lisbon's delegation confirmed that they have a long term plan to submit in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.


In order to open a football academy in Kurdistan Region, a delegation from the Portuguese famous football club, Sporting Lisbon, visited the Kurdish capital city of Erbil last Monday. The delegation consisted of Diego Matos, the general director of the club and Joaw Philippe Korero, advisor to the club academy director.

The delegation visited Kurdistan Football Association (KFA) and met with Safeen Kanaby, KFA president and Salam Hussein, KFA secretary.

The possibility of opening a football academy in Kurdistan was discussed in the meeting. The delegation confirmed that they have a long term project plan to submit to the Kurdish Government and asked KFF president to help them in taking legal procedures in order for the academy to be opened as soon as possible.

Concerning the project plan, Matos said "We have good experience in teaching and training young children about football. We are here to share what we have with players in Kurdistan Region,"

According to Matos, Sporting Lisbon have been training young children for over 12 years and during that time the club academy has been able to train 10 footballers who are currently playing for the Portugal national team and played for the club as well.

Sporting Lisbon is a Portuguese sports club based in Portugal's capital city of Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Sporting is mostly known for its association football team. Founded in Lisbon in July 1, 1906, it is one of the Big Three football clubs in Portugal, with Sport Lisbon, Benfica and Porto being the other two clubs, Sporting's two biggest rivals.

After expressing his happy feelings over the delegation's visit to Erbil, KFA president Kanaby promised to cooperate and support the project. "We would like to see the academy opened in Kurdistan and we support it. I am sure if it opens, it will benefit Kurdistan football,"

People in Kurdistan have doubts about any football academies in their region since several other sides promised to open football schools but they didn't keep the promise.

About three years ago, KFA launched a football school and signed a contract with an Argentinean coaching staff to train children under 12. For almost a year, hundreds of children from Erbil city and Pirmam were accepted into the school where theoretical and practical lessons were taught. Hundreds of others were keen to join the school, but they didn't due to a limited number of coaches. The participants expected a bright future, and each thought of becoming Kurdish Carlose Tevez or Leonel Messi. But suddenly one day, KFF decided to dissolve the school under the pretext of not having enough budgets to fund the coaching staff.

Some of Real Madrid club officials visited Erbil last February and singed a contract to open schools in Kurdistan Region. According to the contract, the club was supposed to open schools in Erbil, Suleimaniya, Duhok and Kalar to train young Kurdish soccer players. Kurdish officials consider the schools as a significant opportunity to brighten the future of Kurdish soccer. Each school was expected to have a capacity of 100 students.

Ali Salih is a 13-year old boy who joined the Argentinean Football Academy in Erbil three years ago. Salih said "I can't trust any clubs because they lie to us. I joined the Argentinean school three years ago but it lasted for only a few months. I registered to join Real Madrid Academy also but the school never opened. I doubt about any academies in the region,"

Kardo Tahsin, also 13, wants to become a football star in the future. He said in every country there are football academies that pay great attention to children but in Kurdistan there is no good academy yet.

Asked if he liked the idea of a Sporting Lisbon academy opening in Erbil, Tahsin said "I will be happy to join a club which Crsitiano Ronaldo played for."

http://www.kurdishglobe.net/display-art ... AC85820BE4

[Anthea]

People in Kurdistan have doubts about any football academies in their region since several other sides promised to open football schools but they didn't keep the promise.

It is excellent that Sporting Lisbon intends to open a football academy in Kurdistan but such a shame that so many other clubs let the children down
Let us hope that everything goes as planed this time