Able to welcome several hundred students regardless of nationality, the Academy seeks to recruit motivated young players based in New York who are looking to go further in their footballing careers. The Academy offers its young players a complete pathway focusing on athletic development and training underpinned by world-class technical excellence, making the FFF the first football federation in the world to open this kind of innovative structure. The Academy’s technical program is headed by Jean-Claude Lafargue, former director of France’s Institut National de Football (National Football Institute) at Clairefontaine, who will visit the site regularly to oversee global strategy and development. Operations will be handled by BEPF holder and former FC Lorient manager Zohair Ghenania. The FFF’s Direction Technique Nationale will be responsible for overseeing training to ensure coaches reach the required standard of excellence. Part of the FFF’s commitment to international development, the French Football Academy is inspired by the FFF’s ‘Label Jeunes’ network, which rewards clubs that dedicate resources to youth development. The FFF recently opened a joint office in Beijing with the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel), as well as renewing its partnership with Major League Soccer for 2019-2020, where the FFF oversees training and development for US youth club coaches. We are working on opening new academies in the US. Stay tuned!