The training of children's football coaches will start at Klaipėda University in September this year. Their studies will be based on the knowledge, experience, values, and philosophy of FC Barcelona, one of the world's most famous football clubs.
"This is an important event not only for Klaipėda University and the city of Klaipėda, but also for Lithuania and its football. It is not merely knowledge that comes to our football, but also the philosophy of this club and its attitude towards football and its players," said KU Rector prof. dr. Artūras Razbadauskas when signing the agreement.
Sergi Gonzalez Morenos, head of the Innovation Centre of FC Barcelona, who was virtually present at the signing of the agreement, wished success to the KU initiative and promised full support of the Spanish club in the development of football in Lithuania.
The Leisure Sports study programme at KU, which will have two new elective specialisms – football and basketball – from September this year, is planned to be taught in Lithuanian, English, and Russian. The duration of the studies is 4 years, and of an accelerated study programme, 2.5 years. According to prof. Asta Šarkauskienė, head of the Department of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism at KU, graduates of the study programme with football specialism will obtain a Bachelor's qualification in sport, a professional qualification as a teacher, and also a certificate from the FC Barcelona, which will testify to having completed the basic course of a football coach.
"We believe that the coaches who will work with children following Barcelona's philosophy of training athletes and applying the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their studies will make a breakthrough in Lithuanian football. Our ambition is to lay a solid foundation for the training of top level footballers together with our partners," said prof. Asta Šarkauskienė.
The signing of the agreement was attended by Benas Baltusis, the official representative of FC Barcelona in the Baltic States, Vytautas Lygnugaris, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Spain in Klaipėda, Audrius Žuta, the head of Klaipėda Football School, and the members of the board of this young footballers' education institution, Romualdas Jonaitis, a businessman and a representative of the football community in Klaipėda, and the coaches of the KU men's football team, successfully competing in the Lithuanian Students' Football League. Edgaras Stankevičius, President of the Lithuanian Football Federation, sent his congratulations to the Klaipėda-based initiative by e-mail.
"Every time the attention received by our country from such a capable foreign academy proves that we are visible and appreciated on the European football map. We are very happy that FC Barcelona Academy sees the opportunity to develop its activities in Lithuania and also to contribute to the training of our football coaches. We would like to wish this initiative success and productive communication, and we, the Federation, in turn, also support this initiative and will follow up on the activities", noted LFF President Edgaras Stankevičius.
