14 Feb 2021
FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura visited world-renowned Aspire Academy on Sunday 14 February 2021 and left singing praises and waxing lyrical at the end of her tour. The most powerful woman in world football, who has been in Qatar for the just ended 2020 FIFA Club World Cup was welcomed to the Academy and taken on a tour by Aspire Academy Director of Education and Student Affairs, Badr Al Hay, Director of Football Performance and Science, Professor Valter Di Salvo and School Principal, Jassem Al Jaber.
Director of Education and Student Affairs, Badr Al Hay explained the model of holistic education programme undertaken at Aspire and depicted by the institution ‘s emblem of two wings, representing sport and academic pursuit. Director of Football Performance and Science, Professor Valter Di Salvo went on to show Madam Samoura the newest addition to the e Academy, the state-of-the-art Football Performance Centre and how cutting-edge technology is used as part of the training and development of student- athletes. During the tour Secretary General, Samoura briefly joined in a lesson that was underway and left the pleasantly surprised student-athletes with some words of encouragement.
“This is a very inspiring place indeed and l have been happily surprised by what l have seen. Aspire is a model for what a sports academy should be. The level of investment put into this academy and with the level of professionalism of the people in charge at this academy, l have no doubt that Qatar national team in 2022 will go very far.”
“Aspire is a good example of what a country can do in sport development when stakeholders cooperate for good of sport. I hope one day the country will lift the coveted trophy, the FIFA World Cup on the back of such excellent work done here at Aspire Academy. While this Academy serves the Qataris, l pleased to see that there is involvement of other nationalities too and this is cooperation which is good for football and bodes well for a country that is looking to hosting the best tournament in the world,” said FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura.