The Mohammed VI Football Academy was established in 2008 in the city of Sale by royal directives with the aim of discovering soccer talent in Morocco and training new generations of players for international soccer competitions, and opened its doors in 2009.
The cost of the project, which was personally approved by King Mohammed VI and granted the powers to manage it to Nasser Larguet, (before he left office) amounted to about 140 million dirhams, most of which are financial assistance from His Majesty personally in addition to the material support provided by a group of major institutions such as “Maroc Telecom”, “Moroccan bank for foreign trade” and “deposit and management fund”, covering an area of 18 hectares. It consists of open spaces (playgrounds and outdoor spaces for other activities), the village, in addition to playgrounds according to “FIFA” standards, clothing warehouses, health and educational facilities, swimming pools and dressage centers…
The Academy, which is headed by the King’s private secretary Mohamed Mounir El Majidi and the president of Fath Union Sports, attracts talented students, aged 13 to 18, for their education, guidance and training, and has managed to bring out stars in the stadiums that shine in the Qatari World Cup today, such as Nayef Aguerd, Azzedine Ounahi and Youssef En-Nesyri
The Academy, which has been considered by FIFA as the “secret of the Moroccan national team’s brilliance”, has been equipped according to standards that make it the stature and value of the world-renowned European Professional Training Centers, in order to give talented young Moroccans the right conditions to receive a sports and scientific training that gives them the right to play in the biggest Moroccan and European clubs.
Those who enter the Academy are subject to a strict admission system. Officials make sure to keep track of each player’s academic level, and also make sure that he or she leaves the academy only with a bachelor’s degree in order to continue his or her university studies.
Since its inception, the Academy has faced many criticisms, considering that since its early years of establishment, it has not been able to generate the expected soccer talents, especially in light of the significant opportunities allocated to it, before everyone was surprised by the high level of many of its graduates during the World Cup matches in Qatar, which refuted all accusations and allegations and showed great talent and outstanding soccer performances.
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