The General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia has announced the creation of an elite performance centre in Europe, aimed at developing the Kingdom’s most promising young football talent.
The four-year scholarship programme, confirmed on Monday, will select between 30-40 of the country’s best under-20 players to train for a year at the FutbolSalou complex, a specifically created facility in Salou, northeast Spain.
The General Sports Authority (GSA) hopes the initiative, in line with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's "Vision 2030", will produce a clear pathway for the players to eventually represent clubs in Europe. The GSA expects the project to also lead to the development of talent and professionalism in Saudi Arabia’s football leagues.
"Football runs deep in the heart of Saudi Arabia and it is time for that passion to evolve and achieve greater heights," said GSA chairman Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal. "This four-year scholarship is about growing our young players, so they are immersed in a total football culture of the highest standard in terms of training, development, fitness, health and professionalism. It enables them to learn on the pitch by competing against players in Europe.
“This is a plan that lays the foundation for long term success in the world’s biggest footballing competitions, including the Fifa World Cup, the Olympics and the Asian Cup all the way through to 2030.
“Under Vision 2030 we are committed to providing a pathway to elite performance and inspiring more people to participate and watch sports, and this scholarship is an exciting part of our strategy.”
At the performance centre, players will play a minimum of 40 matches per year against different clubs from Spain and across Europe. The initiative is voluntary for clubs in Saudi Arabia to participate in by sending their promising talent to the academy.
