BENGALURU: Through the Villarreal Academy international expansion project, Villarreal CF have reached a collaboration agreement with Alchemy International Football Academy based in Bengaluru.
Alchemy International Football Academy is now an official affiliate academy of Villarreal CF. This is Villarreal’s first collaboration in India.
The academy will work with Villarreal CF to implement the Yellows’ methodology for the development of its players and coaches. Selected players from Alchemy will have the chance to visit Villarreal CF in Spain to take part in the Player Training Week and Team Playing Experience programmes in which they train with or play against Villarreal’s youth teams.
The Bangalore-based football academy was founded in 2013 and provides different programmes for players from 12 to 21 years of age. Ahead of the collaboration announcement, Alchemy director Sunanda Das said, “We are the highest-rated international academy in the country as per accreditation ratings of All India Football Federation and we participate in state, national and international leagues and tournaments.”
Das believes this collaboration with Villarreal CF will benefit Alchemy and provide players in Bangalore, and all across India, with very valuable opportunities. “The foundation of Villarreal CF playing for a long time at the top tier of European football is based on its youth development framework and programmes. The youth development programme at the club is regarded as one of the best in the world and we want to inculcate the best practices to maintain our leadership position in the grassroots and youth football ecosystem in India. Our student athletes will benefit from Villarreal’s best practices and short- and long-term training exposures at the club in Spain.”
Notably, Alchemy was nominated by the AIFF to be part of FIFA’s High Performance Programme.
The Yellows also boast official partner academies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Israel, Kuwait, Australia, Republic of Korea and Malaysia, among others.
