20 October 2016
Four years since launching the Juventus Camp Belux, the Bianconeri club were delighted to present the opening of a new Academy in Belgium today, in collaboration with Shape FC, based in Casteau, the site of Quartier Generale NATO.
Founded in 2011, Shape now has seven youth categories to its name with around 150 players participating from the ages of seven to 17.
Cutting the ribbon at the presentation this afternoon were J|Academy sports director Gianluca Pessotto, joined on the day by J|Academy techincal director Filippo Savona, Shape club representative Carmine Vastola and J|Legend Fabrizio Ravanelli.
Pessotto had this to say of the new initiative: "Today marks the continuation of an ongoing project that is growing all over the world. It is the people behind this setup that make the difference and ensure that our Academies are truly unique.
"The focus of our efforts, just like the very name of Juventus itself, is based on youngsters, giving them the chance to grow not only as footballers but more importantly as young adults. Every day our ideas of fair play, teamwork and love of the game are being spread by our coaches with exactly that in mind."
Following up on the words of his former team-mate and fellow club ambassador, Ravanelli stressed the importance of Juventus' role and the gravitas behind the club's name. The J|Legend added, "What Juve bring to these camps is not just an education in how to play the game on the field but how to enjoy it and learn from it off the field."
Every single coach in the J|Academy network, which now numbers 20 sites around the world, works to the guidelines established by the "Soft Skills Manual" - a bilateral collaboration between Juventus and Unesco that strives to give young people a fully rounded education with football at its core.
Meanwhile, the Juventus Camp Belux, which has hosted over 500 children and 24 coaches across eight separate camps in Belgium and Luxembourg during 2016, is set to open its doors once again in Spring 2017, as the passion for all things black and white continues to flourish in Northern Europe.
