Rohr tips Real Madrid Academy to rival big European facilities

Super Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr, is excited by the development at the Real Madrid Academy in Port Harcourt, which he says is comparable to the best academies across the world.

After a comprehensive tour around the four different blocks of the Academy situated in the same surroundings as the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, Rohr could not hold back his admiration for the project and the facilitator, Governor Nyesom Wike.

He said, “The infrastructures are high level, it’s like in Europe and you can compare with one of the best academies in Europe like they have in Spain; Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia or in France in Paris (PSG) and in Germany in Bayern Munich.

“I think they (Real Madrid Academy, Port Harcourt) are ready to start this programme with these wonderful structures and also with the good pitch. It will be very interesting to see what they can do.”
 
Aside from the outdoor facilities comprising of a football pitch and well-constructed swimming pool among others; Barrister Green took Rohr and his contingent round the academic blocks which house classrooms, staff rooms, student hostels, ICT rooms, Biology, Physics and Chemistry laboratories, Dining Halls and other meticulous provisions provided for in the well thought out structure.

Rohr added that he is particularly impressed by the academic aspect of the Real Madrid Academy, sayi8ng, “There are teachers who will be coming because you are never sure to succeed in football and if you don’t succeed, there can be injuries, there can be other problems, it is good to have the school side also and that they did not forget it.”

In Rohr’s company for the tour were Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director, Austin Eguavoen, and Super Eagles’ Team Secretary, Dayo Enebi Achor. Earlier, Special Adviser to Rivers State Governor on Real Madrid Academy, Christopher Green, had affirmed that the state government was resolute in their quest of making the project the best ever in Africa.