© EuroFootball.com
Last Friday, a symbolic wreath was raised above the Kaunas football arena, announcing that the first football talent center in Lithuania will be located here this summer.
Already this summer, footballers at the Kaunas football arena will not only gather for games. Next to the closed football arena, two more football pitches, residential and auxiliary facilities will be set up. The rapidly expanding football arena will be the first in Lithuania to establish a football talent center.
Football talent centers are the main forge for training young football players in the strongest football countries, where all conditions are created to learn, train twice a day according to a specially prepared program. Training will take place using modern training technologies, with footballers of all ages training according to programs designed for them. The training will be under the supervision of doctors and scientists.
Followable examples from foreign countries
In France, the first football talent center was established in 1970. Already after ten years, its pupils became world youth champions, and later - world champions. At the moment, 8 regional and one national football talent center operate in France. In the Czech Republic, which is currently second in the world football ranking, three large regional centers operate, where the skills of about 150 young football talents are perfected. In Sweden, as many as 26 regional centers have been established, one center operates in each of the six regions of Belarus, and 16 centers in Poland. Such centers operate in all Western countries.
Modern football center
The football center being built with the funds of the Lithuanian Football Federation, UEFA, and FIFA will meet modern standards - medical facilities, a dining facility, sauna complexes, fitness facilities will be installed, athletes will be constantly tested, qualified football coaches will work at the center according to special new football programs.
It is expected that the new football center will also become a meeting place for coaches. They will be able to observe children of various age groups training, discuss the achievements and changes of the young football generation. Specialists from other countries will also observe young Lithuanian football players.
We must develop a strong football shift
According to LFF director Julius Kvedaras, such centers should be established in every city in Lithuania, and mini-centers in smaller cities:
“Methodically strong preparation of the younger generation is needed not only for football. The Lithuanian Football Federation has prepared a special project, which, when implemented, will create a program for training the Lithuanian football shift.
We all look at the national football team, blame the players themselves and the overall development of football in Lithuania for unsuccessful gameplay.
We are determined for serious work - children collected from sports schools to the football center will be trained according to football programs prepared by specialists. Children will be observed by medics, they will be provided with comprehensive care. The Salomėja Neries Kaunas city high school next to the center is ready to accept young athletes.
Black work is needed, otherwise the strongest football players in our country will sit only on the reserve benches in foreign countries, not playing in the main clubs. We must grow a strong and promising football generation.
In Germany, England, France, football centers are happy to cooperate through exchange programs and will soon begin to operate a football center in Lithuania. At the moment, we can send our prospective children to centers in other countries, but we do not yet have where to accept them here, in Lithuania.
I believe that there is no doubt about the need for a football center in Lithuania.”
