Off the wire
• Struggling Granada sack coach Sandoval  • Feature: Red Cross humanitarian aid helps pull civilians in E. Ukraine through crisis  • 1st LD: Syrian president sets date for parliamentarian elections  • Chinese scientists find potential infertility treatment for PCOS patients  • Urgent: Syrian president sets date for parliamentarian elections  • 1st LD Writethru: Gold down on stronger U.S. equities, dollar  • Roundup: EU has "strong platform" to fight migrant smuggling: Europol chief  • Interview: Cooperation with Turkey crucial in tackling migrant smuggling: EU commissioner  • Urgent: Gold down on stronger U.S. equities, dollar  • Kazakhstan's Olympic weightlifting champions on IWF's list  
You are here: 　 Home

Barcelona to set up football academy in Nigeria

Xinhua, February 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Nigeria's Lagos State on Monday said Barcelona Football Club of Spain has concluded plans to establish its first football academy in Africa in the state.

Ambode disclosed this while receiving the senior management staff of the football club.

He described the development as a historic moment for the state, saying it was indeed a thing of joy coming at a time when the government was still basking in the euphoria of the successful hosting of an international marathon.

The governor, who restated the importance of sports to integration and development, said that sports were the future of service to create a platform for youth employment and youth engagement in Lagos.

Pau Vilanovai Vila-Abadal, Director of Business and Member of FC Barcelona Management Board, said Barcelona decided to establish its Academy in Lagos due to the impressive population of the state, and the opportunity to share the philosophy of the team with the state.

Oscar Grau, Worldwide Director of Barcelona Academy, said players like Messi, Iniesta, Sergio Busquet, Pique, among others, all started from such an academy. Endit