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John Daley ReportingA 25-million dollar soccer academy and 10-year deal with world soccer power Real Madrid, that's what ReAL Salt Lake club owner Dave Checketts announced today.
The new facility will be located in Salt Lake City. At a press conference this morning, Checketts unveiled details of what he described as a world class soccer academy.
He says he's been in Madrid, in talks, the last three days with ReAL Madrid leadership. The two sides agreed to build a $25 million soccer academy, which would include fields and a school, and Real Madrid has agreed to split the cost.
Dave Checketts, Real Salt Lake Owner: "They will be our 50% partner in the construction of an elite soccer academy in Salt Lake City. As our partner they will send technical directors and coaches and even players to train here. And they will help us recruit players from around the world to come to Salt Lake City and train here."
Also as part of the deal, the ReAL Madrid soccer club will come to Utah every other year, including July of 2008 to open up the new Sandy stadium. The Real Salt Lake team would train in Madrid each February.
As for the soccer academy, it would be located somewhere in Salt Lake, at a location as yet undetermined. The academy would essentially be a year-round development facility devoted to young soccer players -- boys and girls, aged 12 to 18, from around the world, and also from Utah, who would go to school year-round there. Also, ReAL Salt Lake would keep the rights to players that are developed there.
ReAL Madrid wants to be the world's best known soccer brand, so by investing in the U.S, what's seen as a huge untapped soccer market, ReAL Madrid is furthering that goal.
As for the Sandy stadium, Checketts says he's been meeting with officials from Sandy, Salt Lake County and the Jordan School District to finalize the stadium deal. He thinks that will happen soon.
