SHOULD THERE BE AN ACADEMY?

It is rare to hear positive news from the world of Azerbaijani football. Therefore, the second visit in the past five months of Joan Laporta, the president of the Spanish football club FC Barcelona, to Azerbaijan has attracted significant attention. Mr Laporta usually undertakes business trips to countries either in search of sponsors or to negotiate partnerships.

Laporta's visit to Baku for a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev suggests that the issue being discussed is of great importance. The feasibility of establishing a branch of the Barcelona academy in Azerbaijan is a key point of discussion. The potential impact of this initiative on the football landscape in Azerbaijan and the wider region is significant. The operation of the La Masia academy branch (the term used for FC Barcelona's youth academy) would breathe new life into the development of football in the country, ultimately strengthening international ties and revealing local talents.

The Tiki-Taka Tactic

FC Barcelona's football academy, founded in 1979, has a proven track record of success. It is widely regarded as one of the most successful projects globally in terms of training professional football players. The academy's unique operational principle has produced global football stars including Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Gerard Piqué.

At La Masia, children are taught discipline from an early age, movement on the field without the ball, and the Tiki-Taka playing style. The Tiki-Taka style, which is characterised by prolonged ball possession through short passes, is a hallmark of Barcelona players. Children studying football here regularly interact with youth teams of FC Barcelona that compete at corresponding age levels, gaining experience during joint training camps. A distinctive feature of the academy is its individual approach to each child, ensuring their psychological and intellectual development alongside physical training. At the primary academy, situated in Barcelona, young athletes are provided with state-of-the-art medical support and undergo periodic health checks. In addition to honing their football skills, the programme instils values such as professionalism, sportsmanship, and personal responsibility.

With 30 branches spanning five continents and 180 training camps, the globally renowned FC Barcelona academy is a leading institution in its field. All branches and camps adhere to the main academy's programme. These include locations in the USA, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and other countries. Typically, the activities of such an academy serve as a catalyst for football development not only within the country but also across all neighbouring states.

The establishment of an academy in Azerbaijan is currently under discussion. To meet FC Barcelona's standards, the necessary professional personnel, infrastructure, and conditions must be in place. The Catalans are expected to agree to sign a contract on the basis of these conditions being met. It is interesting to note that the proposed location for the academy's activities in Azerbaijan is not in the congested Baku, but rather in a region. This strategic choice could also contribute to job creation.

It is acknowledged that the Azerbaijani football market currently offers limited opportunities for European clubs. This is primarily due to the need for modernisation of football education methods and the development of players who meet international standards. Nevertheless, Azerbaijani youth are quite actively interested in football; however, there are insufficient training facilities or specialized institutions that meet global standards. This is why small semi-professional training grounds, which most citizens turn to, cannot provide professional football education.

The operation of FC Barcelona's academy in Azerbaijan is likely to generate significant interest among youth in neighbouring countries. This educational institution has the potential to transform the development of local players and the balance of the football market in the region. A key benefit of the academy is that its administration will be based outside of Azerbaijan, which is a significant advantage. FC Barcelona will oversee the entire training process and invite specialists to work there. This strategic partnership will provide local players with access to world-class coaching expertise and cutting-edge training methods, positioning them to attract the attention of European clubs in the future. The opening of this academy has the potential to transform the football market in Azerbaijan and across the South Caucasus region.

It is also noteworthy that FC Barcelona generally does not implement the same project in countries located near each other. Additionally, it continuously evaluates the performance of its educational institutions and reserves the right to terminate their operations if they fail to meet the required standards. For instance, in 2014, FC Barcelona closed five football academies in India after claiming that they "saw no prospects there." This demonstrates that, for FC Barcelona, professional operation takes precedence over financial considerations.