Man City Opens Football Academy
The City Football Academy, Manchester City’s £200 million youth development and first team training centre next to the Etihad Stadium, has been formally opened by former manager and the club’s most decorated captain, Tony Book.
The 80-acre regenerated brownfield site sits within the Etihad Campus complex and will serve as the training base for all of the club’s teams.
The site houses 16 and a half pitches as well as a range of other facilities and will see development and youth squads train alongside first team players such as Yaya Toure and Joe Hart.
Alongside the training facilities are areas tailored for education and for the use of young players’ parents.
Offices for the majority of the staff of City Football Group, which also owns New York City FC, Melbourne City FC and Yokohama F Marinos, are also on site.
The ceremony on Monday was also attended by British chancellor George Osborne, who was given a guided tour of the grounds by club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubaral.
Speaking of his visit, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: ‘I am a strong believer in improving sporting facilities for young people, which is why I am delighted to oversee the opening of the City Football Academy today. The partnership between Abu Dhabi United Group and Manchester City Council is a benchmark for public private partnership, driving investment into the North of England and developing projects where business and the community benefit.’
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: ‘At the outset of his ownership, back in Autumn 2008, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, set out his vision for the future of Manchester City Football Club. He pledged to bring success on the field and to nurture young talent whilst at the same time remaining proudly rooted to the community in which it resided.’
‘The cornerstone of the future, was a vision for youth development and sustainability; a vision to educate talented young footballers on and off the pitch and to do so in a facility supported by the best coaches and coaching programmes. The vision was underpinned by an unwavering commitment to the regeneration of the local area in both economic and environmental terms.’
‘Today marks the end of six years of extensive research, development and construction involving many, many people. It also marks the beginning of a responsibility to deliver against the opportunities that this Academy now creates for us.’
