Boca Juniors launch football academy in Mumbai

Club Atletico Boca Junior, one of the world's renowned football clubs located in Argentina's capital Beunos Aires, today launched their academy in India.
The Boca Juniors Football School India (BJFSI) was launched by Boca Juniors Football Schools Technical Director, Petros Sideris, who announced that Antonio Lopez, holding UEFA A Pro License, would be the head coach for the Mumbai academy.
Sideris said he was very keen to develop football in India, a country where he saw limitless potential.
"We are in third year of operations in Bangalore and extremely impressed with the potential we have seen so far. There is so much talent in India with limitless potential that we would like to tap them early. We want to create a unique experience for all the youngsters in and around Mumbai and more expansion is on the card," he said at the launch.

"Antonio is an experienced professional coach and will be a great asset to the BJFSI. He is an expert at identifying and developing young talent. It is this special ability that BJFSI will be employing to unearth the young talents in Mumbai and develop them following Boca Juniors training methodology and framework," he added.
Commencing March 16, BJFSI is to offer training in three centres in the city with more centres planned to be added to the list in the coming months, said a media release.

The South American club plans to take the BJFSI around the country and intends to run the football academy on an ongoing basis round the year and provide progressive training to the students through weekly classes following the Boca Juniors' methodology.

The students of BJFSI academy would participate in international tournaments like Singa Cup and Dubai Cup and national tournaments like AIFF under 15 Youth League, providing competitive exposures for their development, the release added.
"This is a great opportunity for young kids to learn the South American style of football. We are keen to have the academy run on an ongoing basis rather than limited period camps. It is important to train kids from a young age and on a regular basis," said Oscar Aquino, General Coordinator, Boca Junior Football Schools.