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Creating four new Regional Centres of Excellence is at the heart of Tanan Mansouri’s recently published Golden Goalstrategy for the development of the game in Gratifacio. The bold and ambitious strategy proposes each of the four regional capitals - Koury, Addad, Alami and Hassan – will house new football Centres, each acting as a hub for the best local players to receive training and education.
In principle it is a sound idea, however, a quick glance at the elite youth development approach adopted by some of international football’s other major nations shows a different route to that being proposed by our president. In both England and Spain the academy systems connected to professional clubs are the main source of player development. It feels like Mansouri’s plan is overlooking the great work already being done in by clubs in Gratifacio.
“Professional academies in Gratifacio help to ensure that our most talented players are identified and developed in a structured and consistent manner.” says Kadir Alaam, Head of Youth Development at MC Addad.
“The best academy systems provide access to high-quality coaching and facilities, as well as opportunities for young players to compete against other top-level youth teams,” adds Alaam.
“The work we, any many other clubs have done, to provide a clear pathway for young players to progress from grassroots football to professional football shows the process works. However, it isn’t clear at this stage how the proposed FFG Regional Centres of Excellence will work alongside with what we are doing in the academies here in Gratifacio,”
Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been invested into facilities, infrastructure, and elite coaching in this country. Surely the FFG should be working with the clubs to make this system even stronger, rather than creating what could be seen as a rival programme?
"Academy systems linked to professional clubs and Regional Centres of Excellence both have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to developing elite players, " says former Gratifacio international player Antony Malek who has coached in both a Regional Centre of Excellence in France as well as within the academy programme in England.
“Regional Centres of Excellence can provide opportunities for young players from all backgrounds to receive high-quality coaching and training, whereas Academies sometimes specialise too early and can become exclusive. In some cases it can mean talent is missed or lost from the academy system,” adds Malek.
Regional Centres, such as the ones operating in France and Japan, can help to ensure that talent is developed across a wider geographic area, which can be important for countries with large populations and diverse footballing cultures, says Antony Malek.
“Regional Centres can potentially offer more opportunities for young players to participate in organised football and develop their skills,” adds Malek. “However, Regional Centres may not provide the same clear pathway to professional football as Academy systems and may lack the resources and facilities of professional clubs.”
Ultimately the choice between Academy systems and Regional Centres of Excellence depends on a number of factors, including a country's resources, infrastructure, and footballing culture. It may be possible to combine elements of both systems to create a comprehensive approach to developing elite youth in the country. How the FFG and Mansouri find this balance feels like a key point in how football in Gratifacio develops in the next decade.
Here are some specific examples from around the world of countries that have used Academy systems or Regional Centres of Excellence to develop elite youth in football:
England has a well-established Academy system that is linked to professional football clubs. The system is overseen by the Premier League and the English Football League and is designed to develop young players from the age of 8 through to professional level. The system includes a network of over 100 Academies, with each club responsible for its own Academy. The system has produced a number of successful players, including Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling.
Spain has a similar Academy system to England, with many of the country's professional football clubs running their own youth Academies. The system is overseen by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and has produced a number of successful players, including Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi.
South Africa has a well-established Academy system that is linked to professional football clubs. The system is overseen by the South African Football Association (SAFA) and has produced a number of successful players, including Benni McCarthy and Steven Pienaar. Some of the notable academies in South Africa include the Ajax Cape Town Youth Academy and the Kaizer Chiefs Youth Academy.
Egypt has a growing Academy system that is linked to professional football clubs. The system is overseen by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and has produced a number of successful players, including Mohamed Salah and Ahmed Hegazi. Some of the notable academies in Egypt include the Wadi Degla Academy and the Zamalek Academy.
France has a well-established Regional Centres of Excellence system, known as the Pôle Espoirs. The system is run by the French Football Federation (FFF) and provides high-quality coaching and training to young players aged 13-15. There are currently 12 Pôle Espoirs centers located throughout the country, with each centre responsible for developing young players from a specific region. The system has produced a number of successful players, including Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba.
Japan has a nationwide network of Regional Training Centers, known as the JFA Academy. The system is run by the Japan Football Association (JFA) and provides high-quality coaching and training to young players aged 13-18. The JFA Academy has produced a number of successful players, including Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa.
Ghana has a well-established Regional Centre of Excellence system that is run by the West African Football Academy (WAFA). The system provides high-quality coaching and training to young players aged 14-18 from across West Africa. The WAFA Academy has produced a number of successful players, including Samuel Tetteh and Majeed Waris.
Qatar has a nationwide network of Regional Development Centres that are run by the Qatar Football Association (QFA). The system provides high-quality coaching and training to young players aged 8-16 from across the country. The QFA Regional Development Centres have produced a number of successful players, including Akram Afif and Tarek Salman.
Both Academy systems and Regional Centres of Excellence have been used successfully in Europe, Africa and the Middle East to develop elite youth in football. The choice between the two ultimately depends on the specific needs and circumstances of the country.