Al Jazira’s new collaboration with City Football Group to focus on long-term player development

City Football Group (CFG) and Al Jazira have announced a new collaboration focused on supporting the Abu Dhabi club’s long-term football development through strategic consultancy.

The new agreement will expand upon CFG’s existing work with the Al Jazira Academy and extend to include assistance across other key areas of football strategy.

For the past two seasons, CFG has supported Al Jazira Academy by providing expertise in coaching methodology and education, technology, facilities, and operations.

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The collaboration aims to attract top talent and nurture future stars, with Jazira looking to build on the success of last season when their Under-21s team secured an Emirates Cup and Super Cup double.

“Manchester City’s vision is to be the best football academy in the world and we try to enable an environment to support people to fulfill their maximum potential on and off pitch,” Thomas Kruecken, Manchester City academy director in UK, said in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

“In the last 10 years we have been very successful with player sales and market values of £600 million. This is what we try to achieve, to further develop the great programme with the great methodology we have in place to adapt.”

Thomas Kruecken, Manchester City academy director in UK, speaks during an Al Jazira Academy media day. Antonie Robertson / The National

Kruecken said that the speed of modern football meant it was crucial to identify young talent and design tailored programmes for each player to help them develop.

“We want Al Jazira Academy to follow such a programme to be the best, to be elite. This is what we try to achieve. It's the same with us at Manchester City. We have a similar purpose.

“Second, for me, it's about the people. The game will change in the future. The speed of the game keeps increasing and increasing.

“And for us in the academy, it's to develop the player for the future game today. So, it needs future-oriented staff members, the best possible coaches, forward-thinking people around the talents, the great talent identification.”

Gareth Prosser, who moved from Premier League Everton to take up the position of Al Jazira Academy director in July, is one such appointment.

“There are a couple of activities across our collaboration, for example the Academy Manager Forum, which takes place once a month,” Kruecken added.

“Gareth is part of it. In this forum, we discuss with all the academy managers across the City Football Group, strategies, processes, content about how to develop the player for the future game. Staff exchange programme is another one.

“So, for me, it's not just about talking about player development, it’s also about staff development and to support Al Jazira even more in the future is what we try to achieve, to be a very elite partner of supporting them in the background.”

When asked if the new collaboration could see City or other young players at clubs under the City Football Group umbrella, sent to Al Jazira to aid their football development, Kruecken said: “100 per cent. I believe when you have the right vision, when you have the right people on board, and the best facilities and future-orientated people who think forward and work collaboratively together to create a great culture, I think everything is possible.

“I think here you have a clear vision and for me you have everything you need to develop a tool, you need to develop a top-class academy, but obviously, as everything in life, it takes time.

“But I think you have the right people on board and that's why I believe it will be the case.”

Al Jazira Academy director Gareth Prosser said the club wants to develop more players to graduate to the UAE national team. Antonie Robertson / The National

Prosser said their vision at the Al Jazira Academy was clear.

“We want to be the best. We want to develop more players at Al Jazira and the wider professional game. And we want to develop more players for the UAE national team and other nations as well,” he told an audience that included Dr Sultan Al Jaber, vice chairman of Al Jazira and chairman of the executive committee of the club's board.

“We also understand our responsibility to develop young, respectful, healthy human beings. And we take that very seriously. How will we do that? Well, we do that with the expertise that we have in the room and across the club in collaboration with CFG.

“By using data and research to inform the Al Jazira way. With in-depth planning, lots of reflection, we are committed to making a difference here. And committed to developing successful people.”

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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?

George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.

Hunting park to luxury living

Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

Citizenship-by-investment programmes

United Kingdom

The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).

All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.

The Caribbean

Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.

Portugal

The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.

“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.

Greece

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.

Spain

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.

Cyprus

Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.

Malta

The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.

The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.

Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.

Egypt

A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.

Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties