The Real Madrid Foundation, which is the Foundation of Real Madrid C.F., will run official courses for children aged 6 to 16 years in Kyiv in April.

These courses are not only training and a football game, but also a "school of life," Director of the Foundation for new projects Andrés Muntaner said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

"We will teach children team spirit, respect for others, leadership skills. Our coaches are selected by the head of the Real Madrid Academy, who checks what and how to teach children in a given country, chooses a coach who can teach them something new. In groups numbering no more than 25 children, the coach can track the development of each child during the course," he said. The children will be trained by coaches who have UEFA Pro licenses, were additionally trained in the Real Madrid Academy, coached the juniors of the "Royal Club" and had been qualified before they joined the Foundation. Andrés Muntaner said that the courses are not designed to find new players for Real Madrid C.F., their goal is to share experience with children and teach them, make them feel the style and the basic principles of Real Madrid, to show them the values of the club.

The organizer of the courses in Ukraine is Sport Events Management (Kazakhstan), which represents the Real Madrid Foundation in the CIS. In 2016, it implemented several projects in Kazakhstan for about 500 children, who had an opportunity to participate in the courses. Representative of Sport Events Management Oleh Pohrebniak said that at the courses children are taught in keeping with the protocols used by the Real Madrid Academy. "Great emphasis is placed on individual technical skills, such as hitting the ball, passes, dribbles. There is also focus on playing as team members: children are taught tactics and strategies of the Real game. All training lessons take place in an interactive format. Coaches are not only football professionals, but also good psychologists, and can find an approach to every child," he said.

Groups are formed by age and skills. The basics are for the beginners, and children who have long been engaged in football will obtain advanced knowledge and skills. The Real Madrid Foundation's first official course in Ukraine will be held from April 5-9 to April 12-16. They are designed for 100 to 200 children, and depending on the number of participants, there will be a corresponding number of coaches. The standard tuition fee is EUR 429. It includes the original shorts, T-shirt and Adidas brand socks of the season 2017, the insurance policy in case of injury, and after the completion, the participants will receive diplomas. As part of the project, the organizers will provide free participation for children from boarding schools and orphanages.

Roman Liashenko