Academies: clubs of the European Top 5 leagues multiply their training centres on all continents

Sevilla FC (LaLiga Santander) has formalised the upcoming opening of an academy in the province of Fukushima (Japan) on 19/10/2017, the seventh abroad of the club after the six announced in the United States on 30/06/2017. Two days earlier, another Spanish club, Valencia CF (LaLiga Santander), presented the extension of its "VCF Soccer Programs" to 14 new affiliated schools in Italy, which will involve more than 1,500 boys and girls.

The setting up of academies around the world for Top 5 clubs meets a demand for training expertise from countries in which football is fast-growing, but still requires the contribution of know-how coming from Europe, in exchange for the top clubs to broaden their brand to new growth markets. It is also a way for large clubs in Western Europe to identify the most promising young players in the countries in which they are settled, while ensuring social responsibility actions inherent in this type of investment.

In France, Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1 Conforama) opened, in September 2017, its 10^th Academy abroad, in Lisbon (Portugal), after those in…