Leeds United and Aspire Academy form partnership
The Championship outfit will join forces with the Qatari organisation in a network that also includes Spanish club Cultural Leonesa.
Leeds United will form a partnership with Aspire Academy, the Championship club announced on Wednesday.
Leeds join Cultural Leonesa and Eupen in network
Aspire Academy, which owns Spanish second-division club Cultural Leonesa and Belgian club Eupen, is a sporting organisation founded in Qatar in 2004. It is a well-renowned academy and has links to some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
Aspire will provide Leeds with “support and insight in fields such as academy and youth development, performance analysis and sport science.”
Aspire Academy is led by Ivan Bravo, who sits on the board at the Yorkshire club. Bravo greeted the news by saying: “both Aspire and Leeds United share ambitious goals for becoming a reference of excellence in football. It is truly motivating to see that by joining efforts both organizations can accelerate their growth on the field, including in the development of elite youth players with potential to represent club and national teams at the highest levels.”
Beneficial to Leeds' 'long-term vision'
Angus Kinnear, the managing director of Leeds United, added: "This is an exciting partnership for Leeds United, you only have to look at the quality of the program and facility in Qatar to realise that having access to the Aspire Academy is going to be beneficial to our long term vision for the club. We also now join a network of clubs which can only help us to develop and grow.”
Aspire Academy was established to produce the next generation of elite athletes in Qatar, identified and coached so they can develop to their full potential, particularly in the years leading up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.