- One of the most successful football teams in Europe, Juventus, has officially opened its academy in Ghana. Massimiliano Colasuonno Taricone, the Consul of Ghana to Italy, and former Juventus player Kwadwo Asamoah are leading the initiative as equal partners.
- The academy, which is situated on Tetteh Quarshie Avenue in Accra, intends to disseminate the Italian club’s colors, practices, and ideals throughout the nation of West Africa. It will also give young male and female athletes, ranging in age from six to twenty-one, the chance to develop both on and off the field.
- The facility includes a 6-a-side futsal arena, a multipurpose court for basketball, volleyball, and skating, a padel tennis court, and an artificial turf football pitch. Additionally, it contains four classrooms with space for thirty students each.
- Asamoah, who captained Ghana to 74 caps, voiced his excitement for the initiative during a news conference on Friday morning at the SMAC Sports Center within Casa Trasaco in Accra. “Our primary goal is to make young talents better persons even before they become professional footballers,” he said.
- Asamoah further disclosed that he was in contact with other teams prior to receiving a call from the team management and Juventus manager Max Allegri, which pushed him to discuss the idea with the Italian squad.
- “I was dealing with other clubs but when I had a call from the coach, Max Allegri, and the team manager, I decided to share the project with Juventus,” Asamoah stated.
- Taricone, who was instrumental in the founding of the institution, spoke to the media as well and expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating that it had been planned for a number of years.
Source:
Daily Graphic