Ex-Chelsea coach Villas-Boas announces Mozambique academy project

Former Chelsea FC coach André Villas-Boas has spearheaded plans to open a football academy in Mozambique.

The 48-year-old, who managed the Premier League club between June 2011 and March 2012, confirmed the development via a statement.

He said the opening of the academy follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between former Mozambique league champions Black Bulls FC and Porto FC.

In his capacity as Porto FC president, Villas-Boas signed the MOU with his Black Bulls counterpart Luís Junaide Lalgy on January 14.

In a statement, the Portuguese says the partnership with the Mozambican team is part of the expansion drive of the former UEFA Champions League winners.

“We are executing the International Expansion plan we set for ourselves, taking the knowledge, methodology, and values of FC Porto to different geographies, through credible partners, sustainable projects, and structures that guarantee a real impact on the development of young people,” Villas-Boas said.

What MOU between Porto and Black Bulls entails

Under the MOU, Black Bulls will be able to have talent exchange programmes and also export players to the Portuguese team.

In his remarks, Lalgy said he was enthusiastic about the partnership, hoping it will contribute to the growth of football in Mozambique.

“We need to continue to grow and structure our project. FC Porto’s know-how will be crucial in achieving the objectives we have set, not only in terms of improving Mozambican talent, but also in our ability to export increasingly prepared players to other markets,” he said.

“Everything starts at the grassroots level, and working with the processes and procedures of one of the best football academies in the world allows us to maximize the investment made in our Academy and significantly raise the quality of training for our coaches.”

The arrangement with the 2017 Mocambola league champions will see it becoming a third academy for Porto in Africa. The other academies are in Zimbabwe and Cape Verde.