MADRID – In a historical first, Spain’s renowned football team, Real Madrid, is coming to the Philippines to help train the country’s future football stars.
Just days after Real Madrid C.F. stole the world spotlight again when its star, Cristiano Ronaldo, appeared with a young Syrian refugee in a match in the Spanish capital, the club through the Real Madrid Foundation has signed an agreement with Andrew Tan’s conglomerate, Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI), parent company of Emperador Inc., and the PinoySports Foundation to conduct the biggest and first-ever series of football
clinics in the Philippines.
“We are very confident that with the training and guidance of Real Madrid’s coaches, more young Filipino players will be able to achieve their football aspirations. AGI, through Emperador Inc., is ready to invest its resources and take the lead in growing the popularity of the world’s number one sport in the Philippines,” said Kevin Tan, director, Alliance Global Group Inc.
Under the partnership, a “rolling” football clinic will be established to conduct the popular campus experience program of Real Madrid C.F. by bringing in professional football coaches from Madrid, Spain to mentor the youth and local coaches across the 16 regions of the Philippines.
The series of football clinics will be launched at the world-class McKinley Hill Stadium in McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, on Oct. 5 to 9, and Oct. 12 to 16. This will be led by three visiting coaches from Real Madrid C.F., who will be mentoring 36 coaches and 360 students from the National Capital Region.
“Together with PinoysSports Foundation, Alliance Global and Emperador are taking the lead in making football closer to the hearts of more Filipinos. Emperador, for its part, supports the search for the country’s future football stars,” said Tan.
The formal signing of the agreement, held over the weekend in Madrid, was led by Tan along with former senator Edgardo Angara, who also chairs the PinoySports Foundation, Real Madrid Foundation executive vice president Enrique Sanchez, Real Madrid C.F. director for institutional relations Emilio Butragueño, who was once a popular Spanish football star.
Also witnessing the ceremony were Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas and Philippine Football Federation president Mariano Araneta.