10 Jun 2015
Doha, 10 June 2015. On Wednesday morning students, teachers, coaches and staff gathered in the auditorium of Aspire Academy to participate in the 'Closing Ceremony of the Academy’s Football season.
In the course of this event, opened by Deputy General Director Ali Salem Afifa, the gathering looked back at the highlights of the 2014-15 season. Roberto Olabe, Director of Football, thanked everyone for their effort in the past twelve months and stressed that the help of the teachers has been equally important for the students’ development as the help of the coaching and supporting staff. He also expressed thanks to the QFA for their trust and to the clubs of the Qatar Stars League for their cooperation, noting their support is very important for the work at the Academy.
The past season was another example for the continuous improvement of the different generations at the Academy. A development reflected in the positive results at international tournaments abroad and in the 'Tri-Series'. The recent achievements – that also included development of a successful team for the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship and then the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup – also proved that the Academy’s players have reached a level where they are able to compete with teams from other continents such as Europe, South America or Asia. “In order to become better we always have to keep working hard and trying to improve,” stressed Olabe.
At the end of the ceremony, the team that won the internal 'Final of the season tournament' were presented with their prize – a trip to a football game in Europe. Also, none of the players left the event empty-handed since they all received a team-photo and yearbook of the past 'Tri-Series' season.