Arsène Wenger and AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey (Image: AIFF)Legendary Arsenal coach and the current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, is gearing up for a momentous journey to India during the second week of October. The purpose of his visit is to finalize the establishment of a cutting-edge central academy in collaboration with the AIFF, as revealed by Federation President Kalyan Chaubey.
The meeting between Chaubey, AIFF Secretary General Dr Shaji Prabhakaran, Wenger, Steven Martens, FIFA’s Technical Director, and Ulf Schott, Head of High-Performance Programmes at FIFA, took place in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, August 19, 2023. The agenda of this meeting was to solidify the partnership between FIFA and AIFF in launching a specialized academy designed for U-13 boys and girls. Although the name of this academy is yet to be determined, the groundwork for its establishment is in motion.
Chaubey, expressing his thoughts after the meeting, stated on the official AIFF website, “I am pleased to share that we are on the brink of establishing a state-of-the-art centralized academy in India, in collaboration with FIFA. Arsène Wenger will be playing a pivotal role in shaping this initiative. I am confident that with his wealth of experience combined with our unwavering dedication, we can initiate a transformative phase that will propel India toward producing future sports stars.”
It’s important to note that this academy won’t function in isolation; rather, it will be part of a network, supported by approximately four or five feeder academies. This integrated approach aims to maximize the impact of player development. Wenger is anticipated to make an official announcement through a virtual press conference in September. Subsequently, he will travel to India during the second week of October to meticulously iron out the finer details of the proposed academy, as informed by Chaubey.
Video from FIFA.com“FIFA’s commitment to the Future of Football remains resolute, as we want to give every talent a chance, and to create the right environment to deliver on that promise through our competitions.”
– Arsène Wenger
FIFA Chief of Global Football Development
Dr. Prabhakaran eagerly expressed, “We are eagerly anticipating Arsène Wenger’s arrival in India for this pivotal project. His involvement holds the potential to significantly influence the development of elite players in India. His collaboration signifies his belief in the remarkable potential of our country. With his guidance, we have the capacity to ignite the passion of millions of young individuals, resulting in the emergence of shining talents on the global stage. At long last, our ‘Project Diamond’ is manifesting in alignment with our visionary roadmap, ‘Vision 2047’.”
Chaubey further emphasized, “The U-13 Youth League and Sub-Junior National Championships will play a crucial role in talent identification and establishment of these academies. Our intention is to offer increased opportunities to our member associations and young athletes alike, allowing them to organize and prepare for state-level trials. This strategic approach ensures that each state association can field their most competitive team for the U-13 Youth League.”
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