Youth Academy
Maribor's Academy is responsible for youth development at the club, with the goal of developing young players for the future. The academy is hailed as the best in Slovenia and has been enjoying a fair amount of success in producing promising young players. The academy is composed of ten youth selections, ranging from U19 to U7, with over 220 youth players in the system who are trained by professional staff within the club. The vision of the club and its youth system is not only to produce new players but also to prepare young children for the future and life without football. Therefore, each child who wants to be a member of the academy must also be successful not only on the football field but also in the field of education. During the last few years the club has also spread the football school activities to primary schools in the city of Maribor and the surrounding area, in the form of circles, where as part of the Children's Football School around 300 of the youngest footballers train.
Since the independence of Slovenia in 1991 and the establishment of Maribor's youth system in its present form, the academy has been the most successful in the country. U19 team holds the record for most titles then any other team, having won six times. The same team has also won three U19 Cups and is therefore the most triumphant team in their category. Other teams are equally successful as U17 holds the record for most titles (4), the same as U14 team in their own category. Even younger selections of the club also play in top-flight of their respective age categories and share similar success. In addition, Maribor's youth squads are the only ones in the country that were able to achieve league victories in the four highest youth levels (U19, U17, U14 and U12) during the course of one season. Maribor's youth selections give, on average, at least 15 players per season to the Slovenia national football team selections and players from the academy are continuously tracked by top European clubs. In 2012 a record eight Maribor players were called to the Slovenia national under-17 football team for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.
Read more about this topic: NK Maribor
Famous quotes containing the words youth and/or academy:
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