FC Porto boosts Brazil presence with new Dragon Force school | OneFootball

FC Porto has confirmed the opening of a new Dragon Force school in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in a clear move to strengthen its international expansion. This will become the Dragons’ 10th academy outside Portugal and the seventh opened in the last year.

Based at the Minas Gerais Military Police Officers’ Club, the new school aims to welcome more than 400 children as early as 2026/27, taking the total number of students internationally to over 4,500. In an initial phase, the initiative is aimed at youngsters between the ages of three and 14, with plans also in place to expand to other age groups and more locations across the state of Minas Gerais, with the ambition of surpassing 1,000 athletes training under Porto’s methodology.

Activities are set to begin on 13 August and will include the presence of FC Porto technical coordinators to ensure the club’s training model is properly implemented. The project also includes a strategic partnership with Coimbra Sports, which will allow the most promising talents to continue their development in Brazil.

Ricardo Frey-Ramos, Dragon Force director, stressed that this step reflects the strategy defined by the board. “This is another landmark moment in FC Porto’s growth journey and international presence. Our development is based on a clear vision and a sustainable strategy,” he said, praising the club’s “strong, competent and agile” structure.

On the Brazilian side, the enthusiasm is just as clear. Jonathan Tadeu, general director of Futebol Academy, sees the partnership as a “transformational milestone.” “By combining our experience (…) with the tradition, methodological rigour and winning culture of a European giant like FC Porto, we significantly raise the level of development of our athletes,” he said.

Aloizio Gouveia, sporting director of the host club, also emphasised the social impact of the initiative. “The FC Porto Dragon Force football school brings a distinctive and comprehensive concept in the development of young athletes who want to play football, promoting values such as discipline, honesty, friendship and respect,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.