01 Jan 1900
Doha, Qatar (June 6, 2012) – Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) proudly announced the takeover of control and management of the football division of the Belgian 2nd Division Club KAS Eupen at a press conference held on 6th June in the European club’s home town of Eupen.
The event was attended by senior officials from both sides, including Dieter Steffens, President KAS Eupen, Dr. Elmar Keutgen, Mayor of Eupen, Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy For Sports Excellence, Josep Colomer, Director Aspire Football Dreams, and Dr. Andreas Bleicher, Advisor to AZF.
The agreement, which stipulates that AZF oversees the management of the football-related activities of KAS Eupen, further develops the Aspire Academy and Aspire Football Dreams (AFD) initiatives of AZF. AFD, a unique and fascinating humanitarian football project, specifically targets developing countries on three continents – Africa, Asia, and Latin America – and aims at identifying the future talents of world football. Through international scholarships, the selected individuals from the developing countries are given the opportunity to improve their ability levels whilst receiving a well-rounded education at Aspire Academy or Aspire Senegal.
The agreement is aimed at helping AZF bridge the gap between junior players with great potential and elite professional players, which ultimately feeds into the selection of local and international AFD players. It also gives Aspire individuals the chance to play competitively in a professional football environment and backs them up with finding the right performance level at a critical period in their journey towards international football careers.
Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy, said: “We are extremely pleased with the AZF – KAS Eupen agreement. Our aspiring Aspire and AFD players will be given the chance to play professionally, ultimately furthering their football careers.”
"As importantly, these talents will have better opportunities to represent their home countries on an international platform as many of them have already done with their national teams at the U17/U19 level,” he added.
A sentiment which was reiterated by Dr. Andreas Bleicher, Advisor to AZF, "It is very clear that with Aspire Football Dreams we have only one goal: the development of football talent. We want to help the young players make their dreams come true: being both champions in sport and champions in life. Being a professional football player in a club like KAS Eupen is the necessary next step for them to make this vision come to life."
Finally, Dr. Elmar Keugten, Mayor of the City of Eupen, said: "This step reflects our vision for KAS Eupen. The city is convinced that AZF is a serious partner who is here to build a long-term partnership. We will all benefit from that: the City of Eupen, the Club and AZF.”
Since the programs inauguration in 2007, Aspire Football Dreams has already tested over three million young footballers from Asia, Latin America, and Africa, as part of the largest-ever talent search within the sport.