BRATISLAVA - Inter Academy has opened its first centre in Slovakia, with the launch of Inter Academy IMAS Slovakia in Bratislava.
The opening - which is the result of an agreement between F.C. Internazionale Milano and FC IMAS - represents the first step in a process aimed at enhancing the standard of training given to young people and coaches in Slovakia. Present at the inauguration ceremony to help unveil this significant project in Bratislava were Inter Vice President Javier Zanetti, Inter Academy Technical Director Marco Monti and Global Youth Business Sales Manager Andrea Bonariva.
"All children want to play football, and the values learned through sport will help young people develop as human beings too," said Zanetti. "All this is possible thanks to Inter Academy and the extensive expertise of the coaches on the programme, who are experts in developing young people and helping them to grow as people first, footballers second. That's why I'm delighted that lots of young boys and girls in Slovakia will now have the chance to see their dreams come true.
"Having previously competed for Inter on the pitch, in my current role as vice president of the club I'm honoured to represent the black and blue of the Nerazzurri through a project underpinned by core human values and enormous passion.
"I'm also very confident that our work here in Slovakia will be a success. We're working with a professional partner capable of conveying the ethical, moral and sporting values vital for those involved in the Inter Academy to grow as people and players."
The Inter Academy team will focus on sharing the club's expertise with the centre in Slovakia. The aim is to give the youngsters the opportunity to train according to the high technical and ethical standards synonymous with Inter, all the while allowing them to remain in their own countries - the perfect place for them to develop in both a footballing and a personal sense. For this reason, Inter Academy doesn't just focus on coaching children, but also on training up local coaches, who will become the first port of call for the youngsters on the project. We believe this is the only way to build a system capable of developing youth football across the board.
Around 60 youngsters between the ages of seven and 16 took part in on-field activities as part of the afternoon inauguration ceremony in Stupava, with 300 kids from Stupava elementary school watching on from the stands. One of the key objectives for the beginning of the project is to get them involved in the many Inter Academy activities running for the next month. Two Inter coaches will spend time at the centre initially in order to coordinate and coach the local trainers: Aldo Montinaro, the Senior Technical Operations Manager, and Raffaele Quaranta, who will be staying in Slovakia as the first Permanent Coach.
