EA SPORTS FC FUTURES announced free online training practices in collaboration with UEFA at Grassroots Festival of Football, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Dejan Kulusevski in attendance to participate in training sessions with local children
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) officially announced its free digital library of training practices are now live, created in collaboration with UEFA as part of the FC FUTURES initiative. The practices break down drills directly from the game EA SPORTS FC™ 24, intended for coaches, teachers and players to use in real-life, everyday training sessions. The practices are designed to improve core football skills such as dribbling, passing, defending and finishing, voiced by expert coaches offering tips and guidance. The training practices are now available online in six different languages here.
EA SPORTS also revealed a growing list of 12 FC FUTURES ambassadors, comprising football coaches and legends who share the ambition of developing community-level football worldwide. The list includes Dejan Kulusevski, Vero Boquete, Zico, Marta, Gianfranco Zola, Bixente Lizarazu, Patrizia Panico and Simone Laudehr in addition to the existing all-star lineup of FC FUTURES ambassadors: Ian Wright, Emma Hayes, Laura Georges and Fernando Morientes.
“It’s an honour to have UEFA’s support and backing for FC FUTURES” said James Salmon, Senior Director, Brand at EA SPORTS. “We share the belief that integrating real-world football with digital EA SPORTS FC experiences offers a unique opportunity to engage and inspire fans in active and interactive play. Joining forces for these moments, whether it’s events such as the festival of football or FC FUTURES’ new free online training practices, it’s extremely powerful.”
The training practices and coaches were announced on October 13th at the UEFA Grassroots Festival of Football powered by EA SPORTS FC in Stockholm, as part of EA SPORTS’ ongoing FC FUTURES initiative. The festival brought together 50 young male and female footballers from local schools and clubs who took part in small-sided games and skill challenges directly inspired by the digital library of training practices. The festival aims to promote the grassroots game and the values of community-level football, including respect, diversity, teamwork, resilience and friendship, all while showcasing that the digital game experience can have a real and positive impact on physical football development and inspire an even deeper love of the game.
“UEFA is delighted to endorse EA SPORTS’ innovative venture, seamlessly merging virtual and real-world football experiences,” said Zvonimir Boban, UEFA Technical Director and Chief of Football. “This initiative offers youngsters a multi-dimensional engagement with the sport and provides an inclusive platform for players and coaches of all levels. That is precisely the leading idea of the UEFA Grassroots Programme – to keep football accessible, safe and fun for everybody who wants to participate while fostering a strong bond with local clubs, schools and communities.”
FC FUTURES ambassador and Tottenham Hotspur/Swedish winger, Dejan Kulusevski joined in the coaching sessions, providing his own tips and tricks with young players throughout the day. Attendees were also treated to special messages delivered virtually from Fridolina Rolfö, Magdalena Eriksson and Olivia Schough. To support local clubs, charities and schools, EA SPORTS FC will be providing £10,000 worth of branded equipment to help coaches train the next generation.
“I learned to play football in this area and have so much to give back. I’m very excited to be a part of this incredibly important event which I believe will really inspire Sweden’s next generation of footballers,” said Dejan Kulusevski. “Festivals like this offer so much to the community and, combined with EA SPORTS’ training practices, are a great opportunity for everyone involved. I only wish I’d had access to these tips and tricks when I was learning to dribble at a young age!”
The UEFA Grassroots Football Festival is the most recent FC FUTURES activation, following the unveiling of the Rocky & Wrighty Arena in South London, the Z5 facility in Aix-en-Provence with EA SPORTS FC 24 ICON and global ambassador Zinedine Zidane, the Francisco de Laguna pitch in Vallecas in Madrid, the Kearny Future Field in New Jersey, USA, and the Sam Kerr football pitch in Sydney, Australia. Further FC FUTURES events and unveilings to develop community football worldwide are set to be announced over the coming months.
The FC FUTURES’ free digital library of training practices are now available to access on EA SPORTS FC’s website here.