Rohr, Eguavoen compare Port Harcourt’s Real Madrid academy to Europe’s best

SUPER Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has made a bold statement that the Real Madrid Academy in Port Harcourt can be compared to any of the best academies in Europe and across the world.

Rohr praised the standard of the Rivers State-owned facility while on an inspection visit over the weekend as he was shown around by the Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on the academy Chris Green.

“The infrastructure is high level, it’s like in Europe and you can compare with one of the best academies in Europe like they have in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia or in France in Paris (PSG) and in Germany in Bayern Munich,” Rohr, who was in the company of Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director Austin Eguavoen, said. 

“I think they (Real Madrid Academy, Port Harcourt) are ready to start this programme with these wonderful structures and also with the good pitch. It will be very interesting to see what they can do.

“I think the Governor has done great work and now they have to select the best players and bring some good players in a few years to the future.” 

Aside from the outdoor facilities made up of a football pitch and swimming pool among others, Green took Rohr and his contingent round the academic blocks which house classrooms, staff rooms, student hostels, ICT rooms, Biology, Physics and Chemistry laboratories, dining halls and other structures. 

The German coach was quite impressed with the academic aspect of the Real Madrid Academy.”What I like is that it is not just football, but there is also the school side,” he added.

“There are teachers who will be coming because you are never sure to succeed in football and if you don’t succeed, there can be injuries, there can be other problems, it is good to have the school side also and that they did not forget it.”

Former Super Eagles captain and head coach Eguavoen also expressed his admiration for the quality of infrastructure at the academy.

“I am very impressed,” the former defender said. 

“What else can you ask for, for football development? Combining education with football is what we’ve been craving for and what we’ve come here to see today is wonderful, it is excellent and hopefully, we will gain from this in time to come.

“I don’t think any other academy will beat this (in Nigeria) except maybe if you come in here and you have an interest and are passionate about what you want to achieve and when you see this, you want to better this. But for now, I don’t think anyone will be able to better it.”