RCD Espanyol confirms opening of first ever La Liga club academy in South Africa.
The investment in South African youth football has taken a rocky path but still continues to grow with great new collaborations. In the past Ajax Amsterdam set up an elite system that produced brilliant players like Steven Pienaar, Stanton Lewis, Bryce Moon, Thulani Serero, to name a few, and there are still some graduates that grace our fields today. Now, there have been more minor investments with international clubs probably wearier after the demise of Ajax Cape Town.
At the beginning of the year, arguably the best talent producing/scouting PSL club, Maritzburg United, brokered a deal with German Bundesliga side Arminia Bielefeld. The collaboration will allow a space for both sides to exchange knowledge and ideas in relation to youth development. It should also create a path for up-and-coming youth to cease opportunities in Germany, where players like Delron Buckley, Rowen Fernandez and Sibusiso Zuma previously played for Bielefeld. Current coach Ernst Middendorp had three spells with the new partners in 1988-1990, 1994-1998 and 2007-2008, making his link crucial in welcoming the Bundesliga side to the city of choice.
RCD Espanyol will now open the first academy for a La Liga club in South Africa. The academy will be located in one of the most prestigious sports and educational facilities in the country. St. Stithians College will host free trials this weekend on the 23rd and 24th as well as the 30th of April and will open their doors officially open on May 1st 2022.
As Head Coach of South Africa’s national football team, Hugo Broos continues to stamp emphasis on the youth being the future, so do the leading teams across the globe see opportunity for growth in South Africa.
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