The session will feature industry experts discussing and sharing their knowledge on one of the key aspects of any sport – player development. This in-depth session will feature senior representatives from ASPIRE Academy, Athletic Club Bilbao, Partizan Belgrade & Athletes Performance.
Jon Berasategi (General Director, Athletic Club Bilbao) will divulge the youth programme behind his club’s unique ethos of only developing and recruiting players from the Basque region of Spain and France. Despite this geographical restriction, Athletic Club Bilbao has played in the Primera División of Spain, La Liga, since it started in 1928, winning 8 league titles, 24 Copa del Reys and supplying the Spanish national team with several key players. This session will also feature Marko Vjetrovic (Foreign & Public Affairs Manager, Partizan Belgrade), who’s club academy recently received international recognition receiving an award from UEFA as the best youth academy in Europe alongside Ajax Amsterdam.
Michael Browne (Football Head Coach, ASPIRE Academy), will outline the academy’s aspirations to discover the best young sporting talent from the Middle East and the rest of the world, and transform them into world-renowned champions. ASPIRE have constructed a state of the art facility that promotes sporting talent whilst servicing the educational needs of its students. The academy was founded in 2004 and this year sees its first set of elite talent graduate; many of whom will no doubt soon grace the world stage in their respective sports. Completing this workshop is Mark Verstegen (Managing Director, Athletes Performance), whose team of specialists provide athletes and sports teams from around the world with the necessary tools and facilities to succeed at the highest level. One of the company’s most notable clients is the German National Soccer Team, who utilised Athletes Performance in their preparation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup where they finished in 3rd place.
The Player Development workshop is one of six IFCS workshops that will focus on the key revenue streams available to football clubs (Player Development, Stadia, Law & Finance, Media, Licensing and Sponsorship). Each session will feature 90 minutes of networking, debate & a key note address from the leading figures in each of these industry sectors.
Soccerex 2008 is the leading business convention for football worldwide taking place on 23-26 November, Gauteng Province, South Africa. For further information regarding Soccerex 2008 please visit www.soccerex.com/soccerex
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