FC Barcelona has decided to close its football academies in India, located in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, and Bangalore, effective July 1. The club has not provided an official reason for this decision.
Launched with great enthusiasm 14 years ago, FC Barcelona opened these academies to train Indian kids in their famous ‘La Masia’ style. FC Barcelona has now informed the footballers in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune that the Barca academies will shut down from July 1, 2024. This announcement was made via a statement on the club’s website.
FC Barcelona started its academy in India in 2010, and since then, thousands of young players have been trained in the Barca style, adhering to the club’s values. India hosted two Barca Academy APAC tournaments in 2019 and 2020, and the academies participated in 11 editions of the Barcelona Academy World Cup held during Easter Week in Barcelona.
Football legends such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and Gerard Pique rose to prominence after training at the Barca academy.
Barca Academy India was the country’s largest grassroots football training and development initiative, establishing multiple football training centres in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Pune.
