Athletic Bilbao, Bayer Leverkusen, Celtic, Dynamo Kiev, Everton, the Irish National Team and Porto among Teams Playing at Academy for 2007/2008 Season
Doha, Qatar: ASPIRE has announced that 2007-08 will see its busiest-ever football season, with major teams sending young players from Spain, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Portugal and Ukraine to compete against the Academy's soccer students.
Youth teams from clubs around the world will play against ASPIRE teams in a series of matches running throughout the school term, with visits scheduled for almost every week from October through to May 2008.
Among the participating teams are such prominent sides as Bayer Leverkusen, St Etienne, Porto, Everton and Dynamo Kiev, as well as the youth players of the German and Irish national teams.
Since September, the 1992 ASPIRE side has put in a spirited series of performances against Spain's Athletico Bilbao, Anderlecht of Belgium and reigning Scottish Premier League Champions Celtic.
In total, ASPIRE youth football teams are scheduled to compete against 20 different international clubs in Qatar this season, presenting student athletes with a wide range of playing styles and a challenging series of matches.
Michael Browne, Head Football Coach, ASPIRE said: "A major part of our development strategy for student athletes is to expose them to experienced competition and a variety of playing styles. We are very pleased with the strong response of the international football community to ASPIRE, which has enabled us to put together a full season of compelling matches."
Playing in games of such a high standard enables ASPIRE students to develop their skills and confidence both personally and as a team, according to ASPIRE coaches. In addition, it has enabled many of the players to forge new friendships with visiting players and broaden both teams appreciation of the cultures and ethos of other nations - both on and off the pitch.
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About ASPIRE
ASPIRE, the Academy for Sports Excellence, Doha, was created with the dual aims of identifying and transforming promising student athletes into world renowned champions across a wide range of sports and to act as a beacon to draw sporting culture into the centre of life in Qatar and the surrounding region.
The Academy is distinguished by a philosophy which aims to develop the whole student, providing them with full academic, social and sporting development.
Unrivalled facilities mark the Academy out as one of the world's foremost sporting and educational institutions, and entice an ever increasing number of visitors from across the spectrum of world sports to use or simply view them.
With one indoor and seven outdoor football pitches, athletics tracks, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, diving pool, combat arenas, gymnastics arena, specially designed weight rooms, lecture halls, dormitories to accommodate what will eventually become 1,000 students, a medical centre and more besides, much beneath the world's largest purpose built indoor sports dome, every aspect of the development of elite athletes is catered for. ASPIRE is a place for those who dare to dream.
ASPIRE TODAY, INSPIRE TOMORROW
www.aspire.qa
© Press Release 2007
