September 4 – Inter Milan are taking a step into the increasingly competitive US market with the launch of an academy in Orange County, California.
The partnership is with start-up FC Rockers Soccer Academy that is neither registered with the state bodies in Southern California nor has teams competing in any of the leagues locally.
They will base at the Great Park complex in Irvine which is starting to look overcrowded as it hosts a USL team, an NWSL team and a host of very competitive youth clubs at academy level. It looks like Inter and its brand is looking to eat their lunch in terms of attracting strong youth players on a pay to play basis with the promise of a shot at Inter Milan – to date Inter has yet to sign a full time professional from any of its academy schemes.
The Inter Academy Rockers will kick off in September, with Inter saying they will train 150 boys and girls aged five to15 years old.
“The activities will be overseen by coaches from Milan, who will bring the club’s high training standards to local coaches and young footballers,” said an Inter press release.
They will be up against a Liverpool academy – that has similarly failed to produce a single professional player for the club – as well the local USL team, Orange County, that has built strong links with local clubs and has provided a pathway for local talent into professional football.
Alessandro Antonello, FC Internazionale Milano CEO Corporate, said: “This highlights the ever-growing expansion ofour colours in the United States, one of the key markets for the development of our brand and which will host us for theClub World Cup in June. Thanks to this new project, carried out together with FC Rockers – a partner that shares our focuson youth football – children and young people in California will have the opportunity to grow up wearing the Nerazzurri colours and feel part of the Inter family.”
“We have the privilege to start this partnership with one of the most successful football clubs in the world. Inter, with anoutstanding history of youth soccer development helps us redefine youth soccer in Orange County with new methodologies and ideas,” said FC Rockers president Behdad Analui.
A somewhat bold statement for a market that is already well developed, is competitive for talent and is already providing pipelines to professional and educational pathways for footballers within the US system. Ultimately it looks like its success will be judged financially rather than on the pitch.
A training programme for 12 weeks costs $500 (effectively $2,000 a year) with a full academy training kit (shirt, shorts and socks) costing $295. That is before fees for entry into leagues and tournaments.
Inter says it is now operational in 10 countries with its academy and has 20,000 youngsters in programmes.
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