City mark one year of development project success in Albania | OneFootball

Manchester City reflects on a positive first year of it’s football development partnership with the Albanian Government.

The collaboration is celebrating significant progress across it’s development initiative in the city of Durres.

Launched 18 months ago, the project was built to target three areas of development – the delivery of a football schools programme, the framework to establish an elite academy and the creation of international player pathways for aspiring Albian footballers.

City’s involvement has included the relocation of three City coaches to Albania and tasked with implementing the Club’s football methodology and supporting the development of local staff and players.

This is Manchester City’s first project of it’s kind in the region and it already suggests signs of a positive start.

“We've created a really positive learning environment for staff, the players and the coaching staff,” says Head of Football Development, Gavin Rhodes.

“I think once we've created the right environment, it's then allowed us to create a really, really positive culture where we've been able to collaborate and work very, very closely with our counterparts in the Durres City Football Foundation”

Manchester City’s football education model has been central to the project and links directly to the Club’s first-team principles.

This curriculum was shared with the local coaches, who worked alongside City’s staff to integrate key elements into their daily training sessions.

In it’s first operational year, the project has already offered valuable experiences to young Albanian players.

The Durres City Football Academy’s Under-13s travelled to Manchester to play against City’s Academy teams.

Two other groups also competed in the Abu Dhabi Cup, while another squad participated in the Girona Cup in Spain – all these experiences marked the first time many of the players had travelled abroad.

As the curtain falls on the first season, Gavin Rhodes reflects on an overwhelmingly positive 12 months and passed on a message of thanks to the children they’ve worked with.

“I'd like to thank them for their hard work, their efforts and contribution to a new project. They've experienced a very, very different type of programme, which they won't have been used to before.

“A different structure, different styles of coaching, but the way that they've responded to that has been very, very positive and something that is a building block for the future

“I'd like them to go away and enjoy the summer rest and reflect on their time within the programme, but then prepare themselves ready for season 2 in September.”