Barcelona’s Busquets leads training of Nigerian academy coaches

FC Barcelona has sent some coaches to Nigeria to train Nigerian coaches in the academy in the country.

Led by Pau Casassa Busquets, who is the technical coordinator of the academies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the coaches arrived in Nigeria at the weekend to ensure the standard set by the Blaugrana Sports Group International, promoters of Barca Academy in Nigeria, are maintained and strengthened.

Busquet’s visit to Nigeria, according to the group, is to further train both the local and foreign coaches of the academy and others like the coaching crew of the FC Bulmaro and a few private individuals selected based on their contributions to the development of football, especially at the grassroots level in Nigeria.

Addressing the media yesterday after a training session at the Barca Academy facility, Teslim Balogun Stadium, , Lagos, Busquets said he was amazed to see individuals strongly driven by their inner strength with great passion to selflessly contribute to the building and growing of the football institution in Nigeria.

He added that he has discovered that FC Barcelona is a role model not only in Nigeria but also in the entire Sub-Sahara Africa.

He said throughout his tour of duty to various countries of the world, he has never seen people so warm, caring, friendly and hospitable as Nigerians against the biased reportage and perception of people who have not been in the country. In terms of robust wealth of talents in Nigeria, he said, “Nigeria to me, is indeed a classic group of her own, standing like a giant that she is when it has to do with naturally endowed resources in sports, especially football, which is the core subject of our interest, the talents are enormous and the energy is vast a rare find.

“Nigeria is a great country she proved that a few days ago with Anthony Joshua’s victory in World boxing.”

Busquets added that his visit to Nigeria availed him with the opportunity to see the Barca Academy Group Nigeria facilities in Teslim Balogun Stadium, Children International School, and Corona all in Lagos.

He commended the promoters for their undoubted focus, sound judgment and quest for excellence and zeal to keep improving on the academy’s high standard.

“I am very proud to be associated with the academy in Nigeria for she has done well and with pride, Barca Academy Group Nigeria is the academy watch in anything that has to do with competition or modeling,” he explained.

In his response, Jorge Couto, who is the Technical Director, Barca Academy Group Nigeria, expressed his satisfaction in the rigorous training that spanned all the departments of the game, including goalkeeping.

“This a continuous process. There will always be top-ups to keep our technical crew and other trainers at par with the new arts and science of the game. It is a great privilege to be trained by the likes of Pau Casassa Busquets, a great talent and seasoned professional well respected in the FC Barcelona Group.

“It was an awesome privilege and opportunity very well embraced by all of us. We have learned more and new things which would be passed onto our children in the Academy,” he said.

At the event, standing in for Leslie Oghomienor, Chairman, Blaugrana Sports Group International, Ayeesha Ibrahim, Marketing and Corporate Communication Specialist, revealed that, it was poised to do everything legally and humanly possible to be in the forefront of driving sustainable youth development, using sports as the viable platform.