APPIANO GENTILE – "Today is the start of a new project, one that will enable F.C. Internazionale to become a technical benchmark of even greater importance for the clubs involved with our brand." It was with these words that technical coordinator Paolo Migliavacca began the official presentation of the Inter Grassroots Program today in Appiano Gentile.
The technical partnership project will involve 28 clubs spread throughout Italy, bringing them together via 11 Inter Youth Academy Training Centres. Migliavacca spoke glowingly about the clubs chosen: "The clubs have been selected due to the quality of their work and we hope they can draw on our experience to continue their development. We want to share our training methodology with those involved so that we can all get better together.”
Also in attendance at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti today was vice president Javier Zanetti: “I had the privilege of playing with several lads who developed in the Inter youth academy and that made me realise the importance of the work the academy does every day. The Inter Grassroots Program is a project the club cares deeply about. It will allow us to share our experience and export our model, as we have done abroad through Inter Academy, so that we can work in a coherent and effective way with the players and coaches of the future."
Roberto Samaden, the Nerazzurri youth academy director, echoed Zanetti’s sentiments: "Our job isn’t just to develop players, but coaches also – both those working internally at the club and those that might go onto join us in the future. So much has changed in recent years, but the club’s focus on the youth academy has remained steadfast. I want to thank president Erick Thohir, who never fails to show he believes in our work, and vice president Javier Zanetti, who is here today to represent the club."
Samaden then went on to talk about the project in greater detail: "Continuity is vital and the various projects we’re involved in at the moment enable us to be a constant point of reference for anyone in football. We’re the only club in Italy to have Training Centres and we’re proud of that because many have tried to imitate our model. Through Inter Academy, thanks to the work of Barbara Biggi and Marco Monti, we’re exporting the quality work we do at our youth academy to the rest of the world. Equally important is the work done by Inter Campus, which has been going for 18 years and is now present in 29 countries.
"Inter Grassroots Program is a project centred around technical training, but it’s also about awareness. We want to promote a different kind of football to the one that is usually put forward. The project’s name gives a clear indication as to what it’s about: growth, starting from the roots of our sport. The goal is to align ourselves with FIFA and UEFA to give a more open viewpoint and convey our methodology in the most all-compassing way possible."
The day, which began with a visit to the facilities at the Centro Sportivo Angelo Moratti by representatives of the project’s partners, was brought to a close – rather fittingly – on the pitch, with a series of matches between eight under-9s teams from the Training Centres and the Inter youth academy itself.
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