Real Betis Balompié, through the Betis Academy program, has launched a collaboration agreement with Wakatake Group with the aim of developing young Japanese footballers.

The project, starting at the end of September, will kick off with a stay in Seville for four players, where they will engage in a two-month football development course with Real Betis Balompié. The second program will take place between February and March of 2022; with other group of players from Wakatake Group engaging a similar program, this time with a duration of three months.

During these programs, the Japanese players will have the opportunity to learn through the training methodology implemented by Real Betis at grassroots level, combining individual training sessions conducted by Real Betis professionals, along with group sessions with different teams from the Real Betis Youth Teams and associated teams. An inclusive experience that goes beyond football, since the players will also have the chance to discover the city of Seville, learn the local language and the values of the Green and White Club.

Apart from the described programs, both entities are aligned on the same vision, which will be reflected on several international actions to be implemented on the coming years; under the scope of developing Japanese grassroots football, both in Seville and in Japan. This expansion plan includes individual training programs, clinics, international tournaments, coaches' development programs, eLearning modules and more.

"We are very happy to be able to show and instill the culture and values of our Club to the Japanese players. With this program we intend to improve the soccer qualities of these athletes and extend the Betis brand throughout the Asian country", states Juan Parra, responsible for the Sports Area at the Real Betis Foundation.

"This partnership agreement with a football club with as much history and followership as Real Betis Balompié represents an important achievement for Wakatake Group. For all our team and players, it is a great responsibility and honor to be able to work side by side with Real Betis in the stimulating mission of supporting the development of grassroots football in Japan and the rest of the world. We are sure that the values, the history, the passion and the closeness of this very special Club will be highly appreciated by our Japanese football ecosystem", remarked Joel Santos Boedo, director of Wakatake Group.

Wakatake Group

Wakatake Group is a Japanese company whose mission is to contribute to the development of young soccer players in their transition from children to adults. Wakatake Group has been developing a multitude of grassroots training programs for more than 15 years, with a presence in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. These international experiences contribute to the development of the player and the person, both on and off the pitch. Wakatake Group works following a proven development formula: international experiences, comprehensive education and social responsibility. In 2019, nearly 1,000 young people participated in the programs offered by the Wakatake Group: international tournaments, high-performance programs with professional club academies, individual residential programs, international cooperation programs, coach training and many more.