Real Betis opens its football academy in Algeria
The Real Betis Foundation has been working for several years with the youngest children in Seville and with several academies throughout Andalusia. Its international project has a branch in Zimbabwe which opened in 2020 and the Betis Academy has been set up in Iraq and Mexico. The Andalusian team has organised campuses in the United States and China. LaLiga serves as an impetus for Spanish teams to set up academies all over the world with a dual purpose: to attract potential players for the future who are familiar with their working method and to make their colours known beyond Spain's borders.
"Projects like this show that Real Betis and its Foundation are working so that youngsters from all over the world can enjoy Betis, sport and its values all over the world", explains Juan Parra, head of the Real Betis Foundation's Sports Department.
Betis Academy Algeria has a capacity for 300 children between the ages of 5 and 16. Its method aims to improve their footballing qualities during the course. Trips to Seville will also be organised so that participants can enjoy Betis VIP experiences through the Behind The Scenes programme and see what a LaLiga match is like from the inside.
Anis Mansour is the president of United Football Academy, the institution that will help set up the project in Dely Ibrahim, Algeria. "Our decision comes after being aware of the inclusive policy of this great club, its ethics and, above all, because of the common passion we share: the love of football. For all these reasons, we sincerely hope to live up to the trust that this prestigious Club has placed in us and to meet its expectations. Due to health conditions we have not yet been able to visit the Benito Villamarín, but we are looking forward to visiting its facilities," commented Mansour during the signing ceremony. Real Betis are looking to implement their methodology and develop ground-level football. To do so, they will have a coach who will supervise the day-to-day running of all categories.
The arrival of the Betis Academy is also an important endorsement for the local coaches who will help in the project and will be coordinated and directed by Juan Parra. Betis will receive video reports to check that the methodology is being carried out and that the values of the Foundation are being fulfilled. At all times, those in charge will have support to concretise the working methods that have given the Andalusian club so much success in recent years with the promotion of its youth academy. Parra will have weekly meetings with the coaches and will make three trips to Algeria over the course of the season to monitor the work.
Real Betis is thus consolidating a very important expansion project and an exclusive working method. North Africa is a very productive area in terms of young talent and the Andalusian club hopes that this project will continue to expand its international sporting model.
