English
Spain
England
United States
Italy
FranceProgramme aims
* The academy aims to provide the best possible training for players to compete in professional football, to gain skills and build a solid academic foundation for the future. The academy splits its annual programme into three aspects:
- Technical
- Educational
- Physical
* This academy offers programmes for both outfield players and goalkeepers.
Available programmes
See below for more information about the sports programmes available:
Long term programme available throughout the year:
- 5 month programme (outfield players and goalkeepers).
- 10 month programme (outfield players and goalkeepers).
Short term programme:
- 2 week summer programmes.
- Clinics: Specific duration, available throughout the year and flexible to each student.
Download PDFCustomer comments
Client Opinion
José Miguel Ocampos Ramírez
Long term programmes
5 month course (outfield players and goalkeepers):
Ideal option if you are looking for a course lasting half the time of the main programme.
10 month course (outfield players and goalkeepers):
Ideal for players who want to spend a full academic year at the academy.
Education Programme
The Valencia Football Academy attaches great importance to the part that academic study plays in the programme and is committed to helping every student in their education. Thus the centre offers a number of education options, which can fit around the football coaching sessions.
English/Spanish courses included in the price of the annual programme
One of the great advantages of the programme is the English or Spanish course which is included in the programme for all the students and which takes up 4 hours per week. This course is run by the British Council and it also prepares students for an exam which can be taken at the end of the year. The fee to take the exam is between 50 and 80 Euros and successful students are awarded a Diploma.
Distance learning
There is also an option for participants to continue to study at their usual school, college or university via distance learning, with support from academic supervisors.
Preparation for SAT examination
The SAT is an entrance exam accepted by all the universities in the United States. It is a good option for a student who wants to go on to combine studying with sport in North America. The academy also provides a university search and selection option which can be adapted to the needs of the particular student. This is included in the cost of the annual programme, along with the English course. The Valencia academy has an agreement with the British School to organise a schedule which fits around the coaching and offers complete flexibility to adapt to each student’s requirements.
Skills courses
These courses incur an additional cost and include the following options:
- Football coaching
- Sports nutrition
- Sport apps design
- Software for coaches
- Introduction to sports management
The Academy
Football has become ever more complex over the years and the training needs of players have been evolving to keep up with this. It is with this in mind that the Valencia Academy bases its work, in that the coaching seeks to help participants become complete players, with individual and team skills.
The coaching staff at the proficiency academy plan the whole programme based on the methodological principles of tactical periodization, a philosophy created by professor Vitor Frade, a retired professor from the Universidad de Oporto and current Director of Methodology at FC Porto. Coaches of the calibre of José Mourinho, RuiFaria and André Villas-Boas have all been inspired by the work of Frade.
The main premise of tactical periodization is the specific nature of the whole process of play. Coaches using this methodology divide the game into different phases of organisation – attack, defence and transitions. Competitions and tournaments are regular events at the academy and students will play 1 or 2 matches every two weeks and will also be able to play with other teams to have the chance to experience other challenges that will help them improve their skills further. The academy has its own team, FC DragonForce, which competes in semi-professional. competitions in Valencia and in which some of the academy students can play.
The academy is highly respected throughout Europe and each summer and winter it hosts a number of European clubs who want to use its facilities. Thanks to collaboration between the academy and FC Porto, the academy participants can benefit from some sessions with official trainers from that club, as well as being able to train with the academy’s partner team at FC Porto and have the opportunity to be seen by scouts. The coaches at the Valencia proficiency academy are themselves trained at FC Porto.
Ex Alumni
- Osagy Bascome: Bermuda national squad, Bristol City FC.
For more Information
The staff
The staff are the most valuable resource of the Valencia academy, which has a team of great professionals who work hard training and motivating the young players to reach their objectives.
Coaches
Valencia football academy has its own training course for coaches which is available to all the students. The academy also collaborates with FC Porto in the training of the coaches who work at the academy. Read more about the coaching staff below:
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Antonio Gouveia
With his connections to FC Porto, Antonio Gouveia has been involved in the development of players like Rubén Neves, who currently plays at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, of the English Championship and Andre Silva, striker at AC Milan. Gouveia is a great role model for the students at the academy and is coach to the academy’s team FC DragonForce.
Selection process and Prices
The football academy in Valencia is open to getting to know all the young players who would like to attend a full-year program. However, the football academy in Valencia is a high performance academy, and players must first be evaluated before they can be accepted into this prestigious program.
Option 1 – In person:
There are two ways to try out for the academy’s full year program in-person:
Option 1: Participate in one of the camps that the academy organizes during the summer. The football academy in Valencia works closely with the Portuguese club Porto FC to host a summer camp during July which you can read more about on our website. Thanks to this program, players have the opportunity to get to know the academy’s facilities and coaches and participate in training sessions.
- + All participants are new to the academy and leave the camp at the same time.
- - The players do not get to experience life as a participant in the full-year program, but they do get to know the methodology of the training and the philosophy of working in the academy.
Option 2: Clinics.
Attend a clinic for a period of time for the opportunity to experience training at the academy’s facilities. This also gives the coaches a chance to evaluate the players’ skills.
- + Players who choose this option live an experience very similar to a full-year program at the academy.
- + The program is more personalized due to a smaller number of participants.
- - Participants must adapt to playing with a group of players who have already been playing together for months.
PRICES OF THE FULL-YEAR PROGRAM
Once coaches have analyzed the potential of each player, the football academy offers selected candidates a quote that varies according to how much time they decide to spend at the academy, 5 or 10 months.
For more information about prices and dates, fill out the enrollment form below or download a PDF with more information about this academy.
Enrolling in a full-year course in a football academy is a great investment in your child’s future. Before spending a large quantity of money, it’s a good idea to be sure that your child has the potential to make a career out of football. Therefore, the most recommendable option is to attend a trial in person so that the academy can analyze your child’s skills and inform you about the best options for them taking into account their skills and future possibilities.
Option 2 – At a distance:
The most recommendable option to attend a full-year course at the academy is to first attend a trial so coaches can closely analyze the player’s skills.
For those players who can’t make it to Valencia for a trial in person, the academy accepts videos demonstrating the players’ performance during match play in addition to recommendation letters from their coaches. Hopeful candidates who choose this option may make a direct payment for the course.
For more information regarding the price of this admission option, please download the PDF below or complete the enrollment form.
To come here has been one of the best decisions of my life. My coach suggested the possibility, and I didn't think twice. The trainings are very intense, always with the ball, and the coaches spend many hours working on improving the weaknesses of each player. The experience is unique at this academy. The other guys are already like my brothers, and I have learned a lot with them.