By Max Marcovitch, South Florida Sun Sentinel, May 26, 2020
In their search for the best talent, two of the world’s biggest soccer clubs are planting their flags in South Florida.
Both Juventus FC Miami, an affiliate of Italy’s most successful club, and Everton FC announced partnerships with local youth development programs, the former with the David Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie, and the latter with Schulz Academy in Boca Raton.
The moves serve to reinforce the quality of talent present in the South Florida area, which has regularly produced some of the best soccer players in the country.
For Schulz Academy, the partnership allows for assistance and collaboration from one of England’s best youth academies. Everton coaches will travel to Schulz Academy to help implement a curriculum, while youth players in the Academy will make annual trips to train at Everton’s facilities, a club which prides itself on garnering American support.
The relationship also allows talented players to make in-roads with a Premier League club, helping top-tier talent reach the radars of the world’s best leagues. Schulz Academy, established in 1991, is known for its talent development, touting Toronto FC and U.S. Men’s National Team striker Jozy Altidore as a notable alum.
“Schulz Academy shares a passion with Everton for developing quality footballers and helping them grow as people,” said Joel Waldron, Everton’s Academy director. “I’m confident this partnership can help Schulz Academy become even more successful in that goal. Working closely in collaboration with our Academy Programme, I’m excited to see the progress that will be made in the months and years ahead.”
Added Roland Kollmann, director of coaching at Schulz Academy: “We are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Everton Football Club. This great partnership provides additional soccer opportunities for players in the US to develop and reach their goal with success.”
Juventus FC Miami, meanwhile, continues to expand its reach in the South Florida area, providing local talent with top-tier training and access to their facilities. The Italian side has Academy teams in several of the United States’ most talent-rich cities, including Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York and Houston.
“As one of the leading and fast-growing Academies in Florida, we are very excited to be able to partner with a top notch organization,” said Juventus Miami managing partner Stefano Ledda. “DPJCC’s state-of-the-art facility will enable us to increase the variety of programs we provide year-round and help a large base of kids that already participate pivot to different programs offered by the DPJCC.”
Both partnerships only add more options for talented soccer players in the local area, building on the academy French power Paris Saint-Germain opened in February.
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