The Yellows have reached a collaboration agreement with Alchemy International Football Academy
Through the Villarreal Academy international expansion project, Villarreal CF has reached a collaboration agreement with Alchemy International Football Academy, located in Bangalore, India. This valuable collaboration is predominantly based on the implementation of the club’s innovative methodology to develop players and coaches. What’s more, selected players from Alchemy International Football Academy will have the opportunity to visit the Villarreal CF facilities and participate in the Player Training Week and Team Playing Experience programmes, in which they will train and play with Yellow Academy 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 International Football Academy director Sunanda Das was satisfied with the partnership and highlighted his academy’s success in Indian football development: “We are regarded as the pioneer of professional training in grassroots football in India. Our technical team is comprised of experienced and licensed coaches headed by our technical director, Derryl Dsouza. Coach development is one of the important cornerstones of our academy. Our home ground is Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence, an integrated sports complex having international sporting infrastructures. 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.”
Sunanda believes the collaboration with Villarreal CF will benefit Alchemy International Football Academy 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.”
Notably, Alchemy International Football Academy was nominated by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to be part of FIFA’s High Performance Programme. This is Villarreal’s first collaboration in India. The Yellows also boast official partner academies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Israel, Kuwait, Australia, Republic of Korea and Malaysia, among others.
