18 Feb 2015
Doha, 18 February 2015. Through the ‘Tri Series’ program, Aspire Academy continues to bring young football talents from different countries together through spirited competition across a range of generations. On this occasion, the playing philosophies of the Scotland and Chile youth national teams (age group 2000); youth teams of the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam (2001, 2002); Thai club Buriram United (2001, 2002) and Aspire Academy’s own teams, will all be tested.
For the young players from all over the world it’s a great way to broaden their horizons and get in touch with different football philosophies and styles. “That’s why tournaments like the ‘Tri-Series’ are important for player development. In the Netherlands the teams play very similar styles and have a strong focus on the 4-3-3 system. In the first game in Doha we played against Aspire Academy and were confronted with an opponent that plays with only two strikers and our players had to react to this new situation,” says Gaston Taument, former Dutch international and now youth coach of Feyenoord Rotterdam.
The Dutch club has placed a high value on their youth development in recent years and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was proof of their academy’s success – not less than nine players on the Dutch national team have been part of Feyenoord’s youth program. “We are proud of that and it is our goal to bring as many of our youth players to the first team as possible. That is part of our philosophy as well as developing players who are able to make decisions on the pitch by themselves. Therefore we also require their full commitment,” explains Damien Hertag, Director of Feyenoord’s Youth Academy.
This goal also reflects the player focus of Aspire Academy. “What Aspire Academy does in terms of youth development is great and experiences such as cooperating with other clubs and exchanging knowledge like at the Global Summit in Paris last year is very important,” Hertag adds. Despite the commitment of his teams to the Tri-Series their ongoing education also remains essential. “Some players are studying for school exams whilst they are here. That’s why we have also brought a support teacher with us,” said Taument. “Because learning to balance sports and school is also a very important tool and if the boys learn to do it at an early age, they will profit from it later.” Another pillar Feyenoord has in common with Aspire Academy.