BENFICA’S ACADEMY CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY

What do Ruben Dias, João Félix, Bernardo Silva, Renato Sanches, João Cancelo, Ederson, Jan Oblak, André Gomes, Nélson Semedo, Victor Lindelöf or Gonçalo Guedes have in common? They are all a product of Benfica Campus Academy. The strong investment made by the club in youth development resulted in several young players reaching some of the top teams of the Big-5 leagues in Europe.

For Benfica President and club legend Rui Costa, also a product of the youth academy, this is an important milestone for the club: “The 15 years of Benfica Campus that we celebrate today express the excellence, ambition and professionalism of all those who work at Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Benfica Campus plays an important role in the internationalization of the Benfica brand and in the potential development of hundreds of youngsters that we train every year with our own methodology and a Benfica training philosophy. This work is recognized at an international level, and is well expressed in the schools that have been created in various countries.”

Here are some key facts about the Benfica Campus:

– Area: 19 acres;

– 9 fields (6 natural grass – football 11; 2 synthetic grass – football 11; 1 synthetic grass)

– Accomodation center with 86 rooms (30 rooms first team, 56 rooms academy teams, 98 beds);

– 2 gyms (523m2, 475m2);

– 28 dressing rooms (5 team dressing rooms (daily work), 12 dressing rooms for

Competition, 5 dressing rooms for referees and 6 extra dressing rooms);

– 360º Training room;

– 5 Laundries;

– 3 physiotherapy rooms;

– 2 treatment and consultation rooms;

– 2 physical evaluation rooms;

– 2 auditoriums;

– Other spaces: study room, offices, bar, meeting rooms and living room;

– Kitchen and 2 canteens.

HUMAN RESOURCES

– 10 Teams in daily sports activity, divided into the following classes:

First Team, B Team, Under-23, Under-19, Youth (2 teams – Under-17 and

Under-16, 2 Under-15 team and 2 Under-14 teams);

– Roughly 200 talents between 12 and 19 years old train at Seixal

-YOUTH TEAMS: – 89 athletes living in Caixa Futebol Campus from 12 to 19 years old;

– YOUTH TEAMS: 42 coaches in daily activity, 172 athletes (from U-14 to B team);

– YOUTH TEAMS: 86 Club employees in daily activity;

– Average of 65 external employees in daily activity (service companies).