Chance for national Under-17 squad to train at Juventus?

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s young footballers may get a chance to train with one of Italy’s most legendary clubs in the future.

Serie A giants Juventus have signalled their interest in collaborating with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to develop players at the grassroots and youth levels.

FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin received a courtesy visit from Juventus, whose delegation comprised their managing director Federico Palomba and partnership sales manager Kelvin Leung.

Hamidin said that based on the initial discussion, the nation’s young players, especially the national Under-17 team, may get a chance to train at the Juventus academy.

“Juventus are looking at opportunities to develop a junior-level football partnership programme,” he said.

“With their reputation as European giants, this collaboration will benefit Malaysian football.’’

Juventus are also looking at the possibility of playing exhibition matches in Malaysia between December 2022 and July 2023.

“Juventus have also invited our delegation for a reciprocal visit to their headquarters and fully equipped facilities in Turin.”

Hamidin added that Juventus are also looking at establishing a Juventus academy in Malaysia.

“Our children, especially the Under-10s and Under-12s, stand a chance to show their skills in a high-performance environment espoused by the Juventus World Cup Academy.

“From this initial discussion, we see great potential in this joint venture which will serve as a stepping stone for our players to enhance their abilities.”