AC Milan takes a look of Sri Lanka Football from north to south

Trevor Reckerman

AC Milan was here in collaboration with the newest football academy in Sri Lanka, the Colombo Athletic and Football Club or CAFC. The Rossoneri as it is popularly known, is one of the world’s oldest and most successful clubs having been established as far back as 1899 in Milano, Italy. They certainly have a very unique pedigree and are home to a remarkable football legacy. Sri Lanka is indeed fortunate to have attracted its attention by the strenuous efforts of the CAFC that is led by an expatriate entrepreneur, Ajay Vir Singh who has made the Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) his very own, and two local partners of repute in their own right; Trevor Reckerman and Fouzul Hammed who are two veteran players and football administrators. Trevor was a former player and later Secretary General of Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) and Fouzul is closely associated with Zahira College and several local clubs; a player of no mean repute himself. Undoubtedly, they form a potent striking force which kicked off the AC Milan (ACM) program with a series of football camps in Colombo, Jaffna and Galle to bring home to Sri Lanka what is required to anchor a serious football development program in this country. 

Sri Lanka has undergone a difficult history over the last few years but has managed to retain its noteworthiness with FIFA in spite of several upheavals. At present, a coterie of expatriate Sri Lankans compose the Sri Lanka National Team as they seek to pursue a much needed revival of the game and its international ranking in the near future. With an international coach in place, some indications of a come-back are evident, but it is too early to predict what the outcome will be. In the meantime, several football academies have arisen, probably addressing a growing demand along with the growth of international schools, where football is more popular than cricket, which is the daily staple for Sri Lankans. This has created a big following with children from the age of 5-15 who are gathered in city playgrounds and elsewhere, training rigorously and participating in regular competitions, here and abroad. These children are predominantly elite in outlook which suggests that the profile of the poor man’s sport in Sri Lanka may also be changing.  

It is into this cauldron of a developing football passion, that ACM makes a fascinating entry. None of the other academies have the halo of a truly top quality international club and academy. Names such as Manchester and Barcelona for all their swagger are locally grown training groups that have their own identity and merit and they serve a distinct purpose. So, the question resonates, what will ACM bring to the party? Undoubtedly, the aura of a refined football destiny with all the evidence of authentic professional expertise. They will share with the CAFC, a well-honed curriculum and training methods as well as a careful monitoring, in order to ensure that those high standards are sustainable. Accordingly, the local program began with Train the Trainer sessions over three days led by the ACM mentor Davide Battistini, before they embarked on the three regional camps which attracted over 100 eager budding footballing talent from 5-15+ years. What many parents can envisage is that some of these kids will have the opportunity to proceed to ACM academies or other training camps in Europe, which is a stepping stone to big league football. 

At the recent media launch, the Directors of CAFC along with the Italian Ambassador Daminano Francovigh outlined the commitment that is been brought to the enterprise. This endeavour is also well supported by the business community who have pledged support via handsome sponsorships, which augers well for the sustained development of the plan and the impact it can bring to Sri Lanka Football. The local contingent of coaches led by a former national player and Technical Director of Sri Lanka Football, Demodaran Chandrasiri and a crew of six experienced coaches. They will be expected to continue with the CAFC Academy under the guidance of ACM and can be seen at the University Grounds, three days of the week. Two more active ACM camps are envisaged over the year. 

It is hoped by all Sri Lanka Football fans that this significant undertaking is not a one-off and will pave the way for a football renaissance in our island nation. The Football Federation and the Ministry of Sports must back this initiative to the fullest. Much of the international inputs that were employed in the past have sadly petered away and all the god work done in vain. It is critical that the finesse of ACM is not wasted and all well-wishers rally around and make it the success it richly deserves.