From Manchester to London: UAF's collaborative visits to Premier League clubs

26.10.2024 10:00

The Ukrainian Association of Football’s representatives recently completed a working trip to three top English clubs — Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

This visit aimed to strengthen existing contacts and establish new agreements for collaboration.

Manchester City: new opportunities for Ukrainian coaches’ development

In June, UAF and Manchester City signed an agreement to allow Ukrainian coaches to intern within the English club’s system. This training program is set to begin early next year.

During the working meeting, the delegation discussed the internship program, cooperation details, and arrangements for future visits. UAF representatives also toured the club’s infrastructure, including facilities for the first team and youth academy, and spoke with City’s coaches and management.

Photo by UAF press-service

The memorandum between UAF and Manchester City opens doors not only for an internship but also for further mentorship of our coaches. This is a significant step for football development in Ukraine, promoting professional growth for our specialists.

“This working trip was an important step in strengthening collaboration between the Ukrainian Association of Football and top English clubs. The high level of training in English academies offers new growth opportunities for our coaches, ultimately benefiting Ukrainian football. We thank the club representatives for their openness and readiness to support our football’s development,” shared UAF President Andriy Shevchenko.

Arsenal and Chelsea: building contacts, sharing experiences, exploring infrastructure

During the trip, UAF representatives also visited Arsenal in London. They were introduced to the training processes within the academy and discussed potential collaboration with academy director Per Mertesacker, a former German international. An agreement was reached to enable Ukrainian specialists to intern and share experiences.

Photo by UAF press service

The delegation observed training sessions for young players and held discussions with the club’s coaching staff.

Chelsea was the third club visited. The Ukrainian delegation reviewed the academy’s infrastructure and the first team’s training facilities. Preliminary agreements were made with Chelsea’s management and coaches to create an adaptive learning program for enhancing the qualifications and knowledge of Ukrainian coaches.

Photo by UAF press service

“This is just the beginning of a long-term and fruitful collaboration between the Ukrainian Association of Football and leading European clubs. It will go beyond one-off internships and include ongoing mentorship and close experience-sharing. Enhancing our coaches’ education is essential, with a special focus on youth football. We aim to have our experts gain deeper insight into advanced European training methods, which will help elevate Ukrainian football to a new level. During our visit, we were impressed not only by the level of infrastructure and work processes but also by the openness of our colleagues. We gathered a wealth of information to implement in Ukraine. Soon, the first Ukrainian coaches will arrive here for internships,” said Bohdan Horodnyuk, head of the UAF youth football department.