Barcelona La Liga club open their first African academy in Lagos

La Liga side , Barcelona have chosen Lagos as their choice for the club's football academy in Africa

The Director of Business and Member of FC Barcelona Management Board, Pau Vilanovai Vila-Abadal lead a team which include Oscar Grau, the Worldwide Director of Barcelona Academy on a visit to Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Vila-Abadal said FC Barcelona decided to establish its Academy in Lagos due to the impressive population of the state, and the opportunity to share the philosophy of the team with the state.

Further speaking,  Grau said it was indeed a big honour for the club to establish its academy in Lagos as many of the big names in the team started from such academy.

He added that through the academy the club also aimed to raise excellent players for Nigeria and that the core values of the club included efforts, team work, humility and respect.

Receiving the delegation on Monday, February, 22 Ambode welcomed the decision of the club to establish its first football academy in Africa in the state.

He pledged maximum support of the government in ensuring the successful take-off of the project and described the development as a historic moment for the state, saying it was indeed a thing of joy coming at a time when the government was still basking in the euphoria of the successful hosting of an international marathon.

“This visit by FC Barcelona is coming at a point where I believe strongly that we have nothing else to say than to say we are committed to this partnership because we know it will give us the first FCBEscola in Africa," Ambode said at the Lagos House, Alausa.

“I was made to understand that this is the first of its kind in Africa and so, Lagos is priding itself as a major receptor of the next academy to be established in Africa."

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick pledged the support of the federation to ensure the success of the academy, especially in terms of facilitating the necessary approvals needed for expeditious take off of the project.