Italy will model its youth development on the system used throughout Germany under radical new plans being introduced by the FIGC.
Germany’s success has largely been credited with its focus on youth development with much of the country’s World Cup winning side playing together at lower age levels, now Italy plans to follow suit with large scale investment in facilities for young footballers throughout the country.
According to La Stampa, the FIGC will introduce plans for 70 federal football centres as well as 200 development centres each responsible for up to €4 million worth of investment.
The reforms will particularly be targeted at developing youngsters between the ages of 12 and 14 years old.
“In Italy there are 800,000 boys under the age of 17 and it’s time someone took notice of that,” said FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio in quotes reported by La Stampa.
