Paris Saint-Germain launches ambitious PSG Academy project in Japan
As part of the club’s pre-season tour of Japan, Paris Saint-Germain has officially launched its PSG Academy programme in the Land of the Rising Sun. From next January, hundreds of children will have the opportunity to work on their football skills in an all-PSG environment, following the unique methods taught by the club’s coaches. The country’s first academy will open in Tokyo, before the concept goes out nationwide.
The PSG Academy rollout in Japan adds to Paris Saint-Germain’s presence there, which has grown steadily since 2018. The Paris Saint-Germain network now includes a fan club, two stores, a cafe, an Esports team, Japanese partners such as Pitta Masks, a collaboration with local designers including Verdy and Nigo, and a growing fan base on social media, namely on the club’s Japanese LINE and Twitter accounts as well as a local office.
Sebastien Wasels, Managing Director Asia-Pacific Paris Saint-Germain: “The launch of the PSG Academy programme in Japan is a major tour legacy. Since coming here, we have felt the excitement of the fans wherever we have gone: at the National Stadium, where we have set a new attendance record; at our open-door training sessions; and our stores. The tour has confirmed the passion there is for the club and the mutual desire to write a new chapter in our shared history. With the addition of the PSG Academy, Paris Saint-Germain now has far and away a greater presence in Japan than any other European football club.”
Fabien Allègre, Chief Brand Officer Paris Saint-Germain: “The PSG Academy is a key element in the international development of Paris Saint-Germain. In the four corners of the world, it offers children an immersive experience that brings them closer to the club. In the space of a few short years, it has become one of the most prestigious football academies in the world, hailed by experts for the quality of its coaches, the methodology they pursue and the facilities we use to welcome children. These best practices guide our actions in Japan, and we cannot wait to welcome a new generation of Japanese footballers and to share our passion with them.”
The Paris Saint-Germain Academy is open to boys and girls aged 4 to 17 and will be present at 162 training centres in 18 countries for the 2022-23 season: USA, Canada, Brazil, France (and French Guiana and French overseas territories in the Caribbean), Wales, England, Germany, Portugal, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Russia, Egypt, Senegal, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand and China.
Nearly 22,500 children attend these academies every year, half of them outside France. The success of the Paris Saint-Germain Academy reflects the club’s ever-increasing popularity both in France and abroad.
Nearly 600 coaches – all of them trained by the club – offer top-level coaching and supervision at these training centres, focusing in particular on the values of excellence, fun and fair play, all with the idea of making the experience as fulfilling as possible. The coaching offered by the Paris Saint-Germain Academy is of a standard expected from a world-renowned European club. In attending the training school all year round or joining a summer training camp, children benefit from top-quality coaching based on Paris Saint-Germain’s training philosophy.
The Paris Saint-Germain Academy is part of the club’s international development strategy and provides a pathway into the world of Paris Saint-Germain for youngsters from all over the planet.