To announce a new partnership and initiative with EA Sports FC Futures programme, Zinedine Zidane hosted a community-level training session with local children from La Castellane in Marseille, including a surprise appearance from former teammate David Beckham.
Looking to expand its FC FUTURES programme, EA Sports has created a set of innovative training practices developed alongside UEFA, and to promote it they’ve recruited the help of the legendary Zinedine Zidane, making the French superstar an ambassador. The program will provide local teams with transportation, pitch access, community hours and coaching at his Z5 facility in Aix-en-Provence. To announce the initiative Zidane hosted a community-level training session with local children from La Castellane in Marseille, and David Beckham just happened to rock up, because why have one global superstar when you can have two?
The FC FUTURES training practices represent EA SPORTS’ ambition to grow the game for all. A free-to-access library of videos, produced in six languages with the help of expert UEFA coaches, will be available worldwide for free on the EA SPORTS FC YouTube channel. The practices will be based around fundamental football skills including perceptive passing and receiving, dribbling with control, 1v1 defending, and finishing accuracy. The practices will be available for players, parents and coaches to view online and use in everyday training sessions later this year. Each practice will come with key information for coaches, such as specific guidance on how to motivate young players, as well as accompanying print-outs to use when delivering each training drill.
“Our vision for EA SPORTS FC is to live at the intersection of football, technology and community,” said James Salmon, Senior Director, Brand at EA SPORTS. “We believe FC FUTURES can provide access and unique tools to inspire the next generation of grassroots players. Working with UEFA’s Grassroots team has enabled us to deliver innovative training practices, providing coaches with new methods to engage players, grow their knowledge of the game and improve their technical development.”
The practices will blend the virtual and real worlds via footage from in-game Skill Games that will guide football coaches on how to run different drills on real-life training pitches. Each drill will be supported with voiceovers from experts including ex-professional footballer and secretary general of the French Football Federation, Laura Georges, with coaches and players around the world able access for free. The instructional videos will feature both male and female avatars, demonstrating that with the right training, every player can strike a free kick into the top corner or dribble the ball through a crowded defence.
“We’re excited to work with our long-term partner EA SPORTS, to enhance the support of the grassroots game,” said Jelle Goes, Chief of Technical Development at UEFA. “It is a brilliant opportunity to engage, inspire and impact the next generation of young footballers and coaches, redefining the future of football education to shape the sport's landscape and create lasting legacies on and off the pitch.”
Fans can sign up at easports.com/fc to Join the Club and be one of the first to learn more, ahead of detailed product updates coming this July.
