As Kitchee celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Jockey Club Kitchee Centre, the Club is privileged to join Qatar-based Aspire Academy’s visionary initiative “Aspire in the World Fellows”. This partnership places Kitchee alongside 34 elite clubs, 14 federations, and two leagues worldwide, including global powerhouses such as Arsenal, FC Barcelona, AFC Ajax, and Juventus FC.
By joining the prestigious “Aspire in the World Fellows”, Kitchee gains access to a dedicated platform that shares innovative training techniques, cutting-edge research, and global best practices, all aimed at advancing the future of football. In addition, coaches from the Club will participate in the annual “Aspire Academy Global Summit,” where world-renowned experts provide insights and member clubs exchange knowledge on training methodologies, technological applications, research, and other key areas shaping the game.
Established in 2004 in Qatar, Aspire Academy is one of the world’s leading institutions for the development of youth footballers. The Academy specialises in nurturing well-educated and well-rounded champions in both life and sport; one of its core sports is football. It uses innovative and comprehensive sport training methods, topped with global standard performance and sports science expertise, to groom young talent. Top graduates include two-time Asian Footballer of the Year Akram Afif, who was one of many Aspire Academy graduates in the Qatari national team that lifted the AFC Asian Cup trophy in 2019 and 2023.
With the aim of uniting leading practitioners in football performance, Aspire Academy launched the “Aspire in the World Fellows” in 2014, establishing a dynamic global community that brings together expertise from around the world. The initiative fosters the exchange of knowledge and guides management and modern training methodologies, with a focus on enhancing the psycho-physical development of youth football players.
“Aspire Academy is delighted to welcome Kitchee into the ‘Aspire in the World Fellows’, joining a network of more than 50 leading clubs, federations, and leagues worldwide, dedicated to collaboration and knowledge sharing. Kitchee’s inclusion strengthens the community of top clubs and federations, enabling the exchange of expertise and supporting its technical staff to remain aligned with the highest standards of the game while contributing to collective success,” said Professor Valter Di Salvo, Executive Director of Aspire in the World Fellows.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to join the ‘Aspire in the World Fellows’, which is a step forward for the Club. One of our main priorities is coach education, and this programme will grant us access to a lot of knowledge from elite football clubs around the world, allowing us to improve the knowledge and skills of our coaches. With this inspiration, we will continue to push our own boundaries in developing exceptional talent to remain a vital feeder club to the Hong Kong Premier League and help nurture future stars for Hong Kong’s representative teams,” said Jordi Tarrés, Technical Director of Kitchee.