RIO DE JANEIRO - Inter Academy Base Brasil began life at the Maracanã. Rio's iconic setting played host this morning to a press conference outlining the project: "Our aim is to develop our football internationally, taking our knowledge and philosophy all over the world," said Inter Academy technical director Marco Monti. "We have a successful academy model and it really is one of the club's main assets. Here in Brazil we want to provide local coaches and consequently kids with our expertise to educate and develop talent, importantly in their homeland."
Vice president Javier Zanetti also represented the club at the event: "It's an honour to be here for such a massive project that means so much to us - the president first and foremost. We are focusing on the future of young people, developing talent in the youngsters' homeland, as they are entitled to stay close to their families.
"First and foremost, we want to help them to develop as human beings, then as footballers. It's an honour to be in Brazil, at the Maracanã, a special stadium where I played for my national team. I'm proud to be here to talk about the future of football and this project. Inter Academy will work in 27 football schools all over the country, training 400 local educators who will then pass on their technical knowledge and moral values to kids aged 6-17. Brazil is the fifth country Inter Academy has set up in and we're already looking forward.
"The project will begin immediately with Marco Monti and Valerio Ringoli holding the first coaching clinics tomorrow. They will start in Rio, São Paulo and Curitiba," concluded Zanetti.
