© EuroFootball.com
One of the most prestigious and famous football clubs in Italy, "Milan," presented their football academy at the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Vilnius, which is being opened in Lithuania. The Milan football club extended its reach back in 2010, when they held their first camp in Trakai, promising to open a branch of their academy in our country within five years. This happened sooner than expected.
"We've been waiting for this day for a long time. There were moments when it seemed like it wouldn't happen, but finally, we can rejoice that all the pieces have come together, and we can open a new chapter in Lithuanian football history. Italian specialists have told us numerous times that Lithuanian children are talented, but at some point, their development stops. We will try to change that with the Italian methodology," said the president of the "Talent Football Academy," Jan Nevoina.
The academy presentation was attended by the legendary figure of the "Milan" club, the 1982 World Cup champion with the Italian national team, three-time Champions League winner, and one of the best defenders of all time, Franco Baresi.
"The club seriously supports the youth department, and this investment is paying off more and more. I am very pleased with this and am happy to spread these ideas to other countries," said F. Baresi, who played at Milan for 20 years.
Representatives of the "Milan" club presented the team's shirts with Mario Balotelli's signature to the Italian ambassador in Lithuania, Stefano Taliani de Marchio, and with Kaka's autograph to the representative of the city of Vilnius, Ritas Vaigus. R. Vaigus, in turn, joked that he would prefer F. Baresi's shirt.
"It is natural that it will not be easy to get into the main 'Milan' team from Lithuania, but it is also not easy for the children who are learning football secrets in Milan. We are not selling just the emblem but also knowledge because a club of this level could not afford to tarnish its name," said Stefano Chiussi, representative of the "Milan" club for the Baltic countries.
This Saturday, an open day of the "Talent Football Academy" will take place at the "Sportima" arena in Vilnius, where former "Milan" footballers Graziano Mannari and Davide Corti from Italy will lead a demonstration training session for children. The monthly training fee for the first 20 registered children for the season will be 150 euros, for the next 20 - 170 euros, and for the others, the training will cost 200 euros per month.
The children will be trained by Lithuanian coaches who passed a strict selection process by the "Milan" club. Coaches from Italy will also visit this academy. They will improve training methodologies and adapt them to the capabilities of Lithuanian children. Academy students are promised the opportunity to participate in international tournaments, camps, development programs, and the chance to attend "Milan" matches at the "San Siro" stadium in Milan for free.
