UEFA youth elite player project in gear

A new UEFA programme that is designed to help Europe's national associations foster talented young footballers is moving into top gear and beginning to have an impact in accordance with its objectives.

The UEFA Youth Elite Player Development programme aims to contribute to nurturing talented young footballers, especially in Europe's medium-sized and smaller national associations. Three associations – Armenia, Georgia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – have been chosen as pilot associations for the initiative. The trio travelled to Cyprus last week to take part in a youth development tournament that presented an ideal opportunity to measure their progress.

Under-14 and U15 players are the focus of the scheme, with the objective being to implement a technical and educational programme within participating associations, given that proper football education, schooling and conduct are all considered extremely important elements in a youngster's development.

Associations will be helped to establish effective national academy systems providing for close relationships between the association, schools and clubs, thus creating a top-quality environment for talented players and a clear link between football training and school education. Youngsters will also be taught life skills and given education in positive values such as fair play and respect, in addition to high-quality technical, tactical and fitness training – the last-mentioned in key areas such as nutrition.

During the tournament, UEFA's head of football development Jean-François Domergue was able to see at first hand how the scheme – which began as an idea by UEFA President Michel Platini – is proceeding in an encouraging manner. Domergue has spent time at each of the three academies, living with the young players and observing their daily lives and development. "I can say there is big progress as far as the players are concerned, especially in their behaviour and education during training sessions," he told UEFA.com.

Domergue had previously visited 15 associations before deciding on the trio to take part initially. The programme got under way in August, and following the progress that was evident in Cyprus, plans are in the pipeline to expand the project. "The next step is to continue as we are, as we have two more visits from now until the end of the season," he said. "We will certainly try to take on other national associations – it is something we want to do, because many associations want to have this development programme. Hopefully in the next few years we could perhaps have around 20 national associations invested in this project."

For a good number of the youngsters, the Cyprus tournament was a new experience, with many never having even visited another country. "Most of these young players are travelling abroad for the first time, so the opportunity to be able to have football at the highest level, high-level training and be trained by highly qualified coaches is a great experience for them," noted Giorgi Khachidze, academy manager at the Georgian Football Federation (SFF).

One of those youth players, Sandro Davituliani, shared those sentiments, having already seen up close the transformation in his native Georgia. "It's been fantastic – a great experience," he said. "I have seen a very big difference. I myself have seen improving players and new talents found."

Davituliani is one of dozens of U14 and U15 players who are the focal point of the scheme. "The progress is already obvious," added Artur Azaryan, coordinator of youth development projects at U14 and U15 levels at the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA).

"We gathered those players in August, and already now we can see the difference in quality. So they are happy to be at this academy and, of course, they are happy to be in Cyprus, because it's their first international experience."

Filip Popovski, general secretary of the Football Federation of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FFM), is encouraged by the teenagers' response. "They are dedicated to the programme as well as to the education they are receiving at the association," he said. "This programme means a lot to us, because we are recruiting young talents from across the country, bringing them together and preparing them as potential football players for our national team."