Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino recently visited Aspire Academy along with some of his coaching staff and his son.
Aspire Academy staff conducted the tour and presented an overview of the facilities’ history and the significant progress it has achieved in the fields of sports education and sports science.
The English Premier League club’s highly-rated Argentine manager led his club to a third place finish this season, although Spurs had been title contenders with eventual winners Leicester right till the end of a thrilling season.
Pochettino and his delegation first toured Aspetar’s Orthopaedic and Sport Medicine Hospital before taking a comprehensive tour of the Academy’s facilities, during which the delegation learned about the educational and training programs the Academy provides for its students, in support of Qatar’s future generation of elite athletes.
During the tour, Professor Valter Di Salvo, Aspire Academy’s Director of Football Performance and Science, took Pochettino to the outdoor football fields to see the state-of-the-art equipment located inside the specifically-designed football gym used by coaches to accurately measure performances.
Pochettino spoke after the tour of the importance of taking time to learn from others who are leaders in their field, saying, “We have heard great things about Aspetar and Aspire Academy and wanted to come and see for ourselves. It has been mind-blowing what we have seen here and we are extremely impressed by it all. There is a lot we could gain in our work from what we have seen during our tour and we will explore avenues of collaboration and mutual cooperation with Aspetar and Aspire Academy.”
The Spurs boss, who recently had lunch with Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson, describing it as “a dream come true,” also praised the consulting and mentorship provided for Academy students by the coaches. He said, “Make the most of the experienced football people here and in Qatar. You can benefit greatly from spending time with and learning from inspirational people. This is something l encourage fellow coaches to do.”
Pochettino’s delegation included assistant head coach Jesus Perez, head of Medical & Sport Science Dr Shabaaz Mughal, as well as Pochettino’s son Sebastiano.
Aspire Academy first opened its doors in 2004 and is considered to be one of the leading sports institutions in the Middle East. The Academy offers an integrated educational programme of sports development, sports science and academic learning to boys aged 12 to 18. The school develops well-educated sports champions and aims to become the world’s leading sports academy for young athletes by 2020.