The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is planning to take the initiative for the introduction of more academies under Fifa’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS) across the country in the future.

The scheme was introduced by legendary coach Arsene Wenger, the chief of Fifa’s Global Football Development, and the first academy under this scheme is going to be inaugurated by the longest-serving and most successful club manager of Arsenal on 21st November at Bhubaneswar. 

Following support from Odisha sports ministry the AIFF academy has already started its journey with nearly 60 boys of under-13 years. Following a recommendation from Fifa, Sergi Amezcua Fontrodona will relocate to India to implement the project and act as the head coach at the FIFA-AIFF academy. 

Amezcua has been a FIFA TDS coach since August this year and has the experience of developing football in China, as the Project Director at the Barça Academy Pro Haikou.

Wenger, along with seven other delegates from Fifa is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday night. Then he is scheduled to go to Bhubaneswar to inaugurate the academy and then watch India’s home match in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers against Qatar to be held at Kalinga Stadium. Wenger is expected to travel to Mumbai to attend a function organized by the AIFF before leaving the country on the same day. 

The newly-appointed AIFF Technical Director Sabir Pasha, a former India international footballer and coach also, divulged that two licensed Indian coaches and a goalkeeping coach will be recruited and they will work under Amezcua Fontrodona. 

It has also been learned that the AIFF top brass is in talks with Fifa for its financial support to introduce more academies under the TDS scheme where the NCEs (National Centre of Excellence) can be linked in the future.