Real Madrid CF Coaches to Scout Young Armenian Talent in Yerevan

EXCLUSIVE: In collaboration between Fundación Real Madrid, International Football Camps, and Eurosoccer Trips, this summer marks the inaugural international meeting of Real Madrid Football Club in Armenia.

Gevorg Karapetyan, former striker of the Armenian youth team and a key organizer of the event, revealed this exciting development in an exclusive conversation with The Armenian Report's sports correspondent.

Karapetyan, along with former FC Ararat captain and executive director Artur Minasyan, laid the groundwork for this initiative back in 2017 with the establishment of the Los Angeles International Football Club in Glendale. Over the years, the youth teams under their guidance have achieved remarkable success. Two years later, their efforts bore fruit as the Fundación Real Madrid Clinics convened in the USA, with standout talent Gagik Simonyan participating.

The inaugural gathering in Glendale attracted 70-80 young participants, a number that has surged to 2000 this year. Karapetyan disclosed plans for two such gatherings in Glendale in 2024, scheduled for June 10-14 and June 22-26.

The primary objective behind these efforts has always been the development of football in Armenia. Hence, after fruitful negotiations between International Football Camps and the Spanish football giant, Fundación Clinics of Real Madrid will debut in Yerevan from July 3-7. Karapetyan explained, "The next step was the holding of Fundación Real Madrid Clinics in Armenia, to which our Spanish partners gladly agreed." Alongside Artur Minasyan and PAYFA founder Aram Ghahramanyan, Karapetyan co-founded the International Football Camps organization to spearhead such international gatherings. The agreement to host the gathering in Yerevan was formalized in Madrid, with Real Madrid CF represented by the legendary Brazilian footballer Roberto Carlos.

As per the arrangement, representatives and coaches from the Real Madrid CF academy will arrive in Armenia to oversee the activities of the 5-day meeting. Following rigorous evaluation by Spanish coaches, the cream of the crop among the young participants will earn a coveted spot in a one-week training camp at the Real Madrid CF training ground. While some will continue their football education in Spain, others will return to Armenia.

This marks the beginning of a series of such events in Armenia and the Diaspora. The organizers' hope is to witness young Armenian footballers don the national team jersey in the future.