AS ROMA EXPANDS ACADEMY PROGRAM TO UNITED STATES;
PARTNERS WITH SEVEN ELITE CLUBS, INCLUDING PATEADORES
ROME (January 28, 2015) – Today AS Roma announced the expansion of its renowned youth soccer academy program to the United States. The club will now have a direct, year-round partnership with seven elite U.S. soccer academies –including Pateadores from Southern California – with a focus on identifying and developing top-tier players.
Today Roma will also host its first U.S. Academy Summit in Miami, where club ownership and executives will meet with leadership from each academy club.
The seven clubs, which are all part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, are:
· Pateadores (Southern Calif.)
· Chargers (Clearwater, Fla.)
· FC Greater Boston Bolts (Boston, Mass.)
· Real Colorado (Denver, Colo.)
· Vardar (Detroit, Mich.)
· New York / New Jersey club (TBA)
· Pacific Northwest club (TBA)
“We are very proud to launch our U.S. Academy program and to formalize our partnership with select top-flight U.S. clubs,” said AS Roma President James Pallotta. “Player development in the United States continues to be a top priority for us. We are confident this initiative will be great for the country and club and produce many star players of tomorrow.”
Added Mia Hamm, Member of the AS Roma Board of Directors: “As someone who spent their youth living in both the U.S. and Italy, there’s a personal satisfaction that comes with seeing Roma investing significant resources to player development in the States. There’s a lot of talent here – and it’s great that the club continues to recognize that.”
In creating its expanded academy Roma has built a comprehensive partnership program with the U.S.-based clubs, all with the objective of developing elite players. Elements include ongoing coaching development and exchanges, tailored physical performance programs and team training and competition in both the United States and Italy. “Since day one we have been committed not only to identifying the best partner clubs but ensuring we have constant input from them to ensure the program is successful. We have a truly unique opportunity to bring together the best of youth football from Italy and U.S. and produce fantastic results,” said AS Roma CEO Italo Zanzi.
“We are excited to partner with a great club like AS Roma,” said Pateadores Club Director Jon Szczuka. “They have been successful in developing players from the youth level through the pros. We hope that his agreement could someday pave the way from the fields of So Cal to the Champions League.”
AS Roma’s academy in Italy is considered among the very best in Europe. The academy has nine elite teams comprised of 226 players that compete in the official championships governed by the Italian Football Federation. AS Roma’s youth teams have captured numerous Italian championships, including nine Scudetto titles for its “Primavera” – the oldest youth level. Over the years, AS Roma’s youth teams has produced 671 players that have competed for AS Roma’s first team, 23 players currently playing in Serie A and three FIFA World Cup champions (Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Bruno Conti). Click here for more information on AS Roma’s academy.
In March 2012, Roma entered into a multi-year agreement with Disney Sports to become the official professional football club of the renowned Wide World of Sports amateur and pro sports complex in Orlando. The complex hosts the Disney Soccer Showcase presented by AS Roma – a top U.S. youth football soccer tournament. Roma’s top Italian academy club, Primavera, participated in the competition last month.
AS Roma is currently in second place in Serie A, the top-tier professional league in Italy.
Off the pitch, AS Roma is planning a new 52,000-seat stadium and surrounding entertainment development – Stadio della Roma – that will serve the club and city of Rome as the pre-eminent sports and entertainment district in the world. More information is available at www.stadiodellaroma.com.
The Pateadores Soccer Club started in 1987 and has a long-standing history of developing and preparing elite players for future levels. The club has placed hundreds of student athletes in the most prestigious college programs throughout the country. The Pateadores have also made a strong impact at the professional and National Team level with players representing numerous MLS franchises. The Pateadores have had tremendous team success over the past 24 years, highlighted by bringing home seven national titles, including the 2011 U.S. Developmental Academy U18 National Championship. The club is led by Club Director Jon Szczuka. For more information on Pateadores, visit their website.
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