FCBEscola and Avea set up their first football school in Turkey: FCBEscola Istanbul Avea

The FCBEscola project is continuing its international expansion and has opened its first football academy in Turkey, the FCBEscola Istanbul Avea. The project has arisen from the deal between FCBEscola and Avea, an official FC Barcelona partner since 2011 and the club’s telecommunications partner in Turkey. It was announced at a press conference in Istanbul attended by FC Barcelona vice president, Javier Faus, FCBEscola director, Xevi Marcé, Avea CEO, Erkan Akdemir and FCBEscola Istanbul Avea Representative, Âli Kiremitçioğlu. The plan is for the school, based in Istanbul, to start operating in mid October.

This is the first time that an FC Barcelona partner has also become an FCBEscola partner. The Istanbul school will be working with a total of 600 pupils and will also be offering scholarships to 180 talented children. The service will initially be offered at two different centres in the city, one in Maltepe (Asian zone) and one in Maslak (European zone). FCBEscola offers not just football training to students at all its schools around the world, but also teaches them a system of values that enables them to internalize concepts like discipline, sports ethics and respect.

Background

The sponsorship deal between FC Barcelona and Avea began with an agreement signed in 2011, which made Avea one of the club’s official partners and its telecommunications partner in Turkey. In May 2012, the first agreement for organising the FCBEscola Camp Avea was signed, and a total of four editions have already been held, two in Istanbul and two more in Antalya in 2012 and 2013. The sponsorship agreement was renewed for three more years in 2013. Given the success of the experience and the good understanding between FCBEscola and Avea, work began on a possible collaboration between the two organisations. Finally, in 2014 an agreement was signed for the new FCBEscola Istanbul Avea, meaning that FC Barcelona now has thirteen such schools around the world.

Statements by vice-president of FC Barcelona, Javier Faus, and CEO of Avea, Erkan Akdemir.

“This deal strengthens Barça’s ties with Turkey”

“This deal shows that FC Barcelona wants to do much more than merely sign sponsorship deals with our partners, and also seeks collaboration with other sporting and social projects, as is the case with the setting up of FCBEscola Istanbul Avea. The Club has once again strengthened its ties with Turkey, a country with a huge passion for football and where Barcelona has a large number of supporters”.

“Our goal is for FCBEscola Istanbul to contribute to Turkish football”

“Our camps attracted so much interest all around Turkey and motivated us to give this training in a much effective and professional structure in the 10th year of our foundation. And now, with FCBEscola Istanbul Avea, we make this much more comprehensive and much better equipped in line with the school schedule. Our goal is to make FCBEscola Istanbul Avea an important brand contributing to Turkish football. We are really proud to see that the cooperation that initiated 3 years ago with the world’s leading football club FC Barcelona has reached this point.”