By Mark Baber
February 24 – Barcelona have announced that they will be setting up a club academy in Lagos, Nigeria, it was disclosed at a meeting with Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Worldwide director of the Barcelona Academy, Oscar Grau commented on the move into Nigeria, saying: “It was indeed a big honour for the club to establish its Academy in Lagos, as many of the big names in the team started from such Academy.”
Grau mentioned a few of the products of Barcelona’s production line including Messi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquet and Pique, claiming that the club has a unique methodology of instilling great virtues in footballers, besides footballing skills and education.
Governor Ambode commented: “This visit by FC Barcelona is coming at a point where I believe strongly that we have nothing else to say than to say we are committed into this partnership because we know the partnership will give us the first FCBEscola in Africa,”
“I was made to understand that this is the first of its kind in Africa and so Lagos is priding itself as a major receptor of the next academy to be established in Africa.
“I know that this will create a very good platform for youth development, grassroots empowerment and also for the value of sportsmanship.”
According to the Ambode: “We share the same values with FC Barcelona which are respect, courage, humility, social integration and community service. So, I just want to say that you have our blessing; you have our go-ahead. Whatever it is that we need to do to ensure that this project takes off as quick as possible as a government, we are hundred percent ready to support you in the interest of all of us.
“I believes that sports, entertainment and arts can actually contribute together to lift Lagos and Nigeria away from the problem of unemployment,” he added.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick was also on hand to celebrate Barcelona’s show of support for Nigerian football, which has been hit hard by leadership feuds and homophobia, and he pledged the support of the NFF to ensure the success of the academy, with facilitating the necessary approvals needed for expeditious take off of the project.
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