A unique chance for football youth in UAE

Emirates Islamic National Scholl League (NSL) standouts to travel to Rennes for scout training camp

The Emirates Islamic National School league which has over 1300 players registered between the age groups Under 14 and Under 16 has signed a partnership with French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais F.C. and will give top players in the NSL a chance to take their game to the next level. The link will bring Stade Rennais F.C. youth coaches and scouts to Dubai for a two day training camp featuring the top 20-30 NSL footballers from the 2015/16 season on February 17-18, 2017.    

During the Dubai camp, the coaches will select the top eight players for an all-expenses paid trip to Rennes from May 4-7, 2017, giving the youngsters a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In addition to the training camp with the Stade Rennais F.C. youth academy at the Henri Guerin Training Centre, the eight players will also be given a tour of the stadium and a meet-and-greet with players. They’ll then take in world-class football by attending the Stade Rennais F.C. v Montpellier Ligue 1 match on Saturday, May 6.

“The NSL is a unique and powerful platform to showcase and reward the ambitions and achievements of school sports. We would like to thank all our partners Emirates Islamic, Go Sport, OSN, Global Village, Umbro and Daman for their support and allowing this fantastic opportunity for the kids of the UAE.” said Matt Burn, Sports Events Manager for tournament organisers, Sport360°.

Mikael Silvestre, chargé de mission of Stade Rennais F.C., saw firsthand the importance of the NSL and the level of talent on display in the tournament when he attended last season’s final. During his playing days, the French star made 361 appearances over nine years with Manchester United and helped win five Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy. Silvestre said of the partnership with the NSL: “We are delighted to be involved with the Emirates Islamic National School League. I was lucky enough to be at the final of last season’s competition and the talent that was showcased was a very high standard. “A professionally-run grassroots competition like this for the UAE will go a long way in developing the local and expat standard of football in the region. “Stade Rennais F.C. is excited to be giving the selected top players the once in a lifetime opportunity to fly to Rennes, France and train at our first-class facilities.”

Stade Rennais F.C. is a well-established club operating in the top tier of French football, Ligue 1. They’ve developed a reputation for bringing through and improving young players, with big names such as Ousmane Dembele, Petr Cech and Asamoah Gyan passing through the programme.

Emirates Islamic CEO, Jamal Bin Ghalaita, is happy to play a part in developing the stars of tomorrow.

“At Emirates Islamic, our key objective is to give back to the community and the biggest contribution we can make towards our future is to invest in our children,” he said. “Sport activities not only promote fitness but also inculcate values such as teamwork and self-confidence which the children will go on to use in their education and careers. “Thus, to be a part of the National School League is a natural decision for us to make. Football is a passion point for our youth and we look forward to seeing the rising stars of tomorrow develop.”