July 30 – Inter Milan has added a new country to its Inter Academy outreach, opening up in Uruguay’s capital city Montevideo. The opening coincides with the arrival of central defender Diego Godin at the club from Atletico Madrid.
Inter Academy now has centres in Argentina, Brazil, Belarus, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Slovakia and Hungary, and the club says it has more than 20,000 young players, 400 local instructors and 30 Italian coaches taking part in the project – in China the club has seven academy projects.
While the club says that its principal objective is to “train men first and footballers second” the academies are part of its talent identification process as well as the international face of the club at grassroots levels. “Inter’s youth academy is renowned both for its notable on-field success and the ability of its coaches to develop and mentor budding professional footballers,” said a club press release.
Inter vice president Javier Zanetti, opening the Montevideo academy, said: “Thanks to Inter Academy, many children have an opportunity to develop not only as footballers but as people, upholding the values that have always set Inter apart, and can do so in their own countries, without having to travel far from home.
“I’m delighted that this is now a possibility for the children of Uruguay, a country that has always had a deep connection with the Nerazzurri colours.”
The Montevideo initiative will begin in September, with 50 children aged between 6 and 12.
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