Mirziyoyev Visits Navbahor Football Academy Managed by Ajax

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — During a working trip to the Namangan region, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Navbahor football academy and familiarized himself with the conditions created for young athletes, as well as the organization of the training process.

The Namangan region historically occupies a special place in the football life of the country. In order to train a new generation of players according to international standards, the management of the Navbahor academy has been transferred to one of the world's leading football schools — the academy of the Dutch club Ajax — for a period of three years. Founded in 1900, the Ajax academy earns an average of US$50 million to US$70 million annually from the transfer of its graduates to leading European clubs.

Under the terms of the agreement, a joint youth academy will be created between the clubs, and the Ajax management model for training young football players and coaches from Uzbekistan will be introduced into its work. Currently, foreign specialists — coaches and scouts — work at the academy, conducting training for local youth based on European football standards.

The President inspected the academy's infrastructure, training fields, and conditions created for the students. He spoke with the young athletes, asking them about their dreams, plans, and professional aspirations.

During the meeting, issues of further development of domestic football, support for talented youth, and expanding the participation of the national team of Uzbekistan in international competitions were discussed. At the conclusion of the visit, the head of state took a photograph with the students of the academy.