Paris Saint-Germain opens an Academy in Istanbul

Since opening last May, the Rouge & Bleu football school has been a great success. Today it hosts 300 youngsters from Istanbul, aged 4-16, and teaches them how to play football Paris Saint-Germain style. Turkey is the 15th country to welcome a PSG Academy programme.

Guest of honour and club legend Pedro Miguel Pauleta, who scored 109 goals from 2003 to 2008, is a PSG Academy ambassador and spent time with the kids and gave them some precious words of advice.

"I'm very happy that our young fans in Turkey can live out their passion and learn football thanks to the methods of this greta European club. I'm very proud and honoured to be a part of this project," declared Pedro Miguel Pauleta.

For Nadia Benmokhtar, head of the Paris Saint-Germain Academy programme: "Turkey is a real bridge between Asia and Europe, and the opening of a Paris Saint-Germain Academy here is a great step in our international development. Thanks to our partners and the excellent training of our coaches, our young Turkish fans will enjoy optimal training conditions and innovative teaching methods."

Teaching and facilities aimed at excellent and performance

Using the excellent facilities, the young footballers will enjoy the attention and care of 15 coaches trained specially by Paris Saint-Germain.

Under the direction of Sporting Director Hamza Gezmis, the programme is run on three sites:
- Three pitches at the facilites in Ümraniye, on the Asian side of Istanbul; 

- A seaside site on the European shore, at the Beylikdüzü pitches at the West Istanbul Marina; 

- A site in Antalya, which last week hosted a first holiday training camp and which will become a full-time Academy as of the beginning of February.

A rigorous and complete teaching methodology

In exclusive partnership with Futbol Union, the Paris Saint-Germain Academy in Turkey will teach its pupils lessons that are in keeping with the values of the Club. Over and above training sessions, the kits will be visited by nutrition, fair-play and sports psychology experts each week.

Training will be held three languages: Turkish, French and English.