After months of hard work behind the scenes from 2 of Annandale United Football Club’s technical staff members, the club is announcing an exciting new project in collaboration with Villarreal CF, a club who placed 5th last year in La Liga. Bo Amato, the clubs technical director, and Carlos Aranda, the clubs Boys DOC, helped orchestrate this strategic partnership with the La Liga club which has already lead to two of Annandale’s 2005 ENPL team players, Jared Weber & Braden Deahl, getting the chance to spend 10 days training with Villarreal’s U13 team while also watching the pro team train, getting a tour of the clubs training complex/stadium & watching their home La Liga match vs Celta Vigo.

The collaboration between the 2 clubs will see Villarreal CF open their first official US-based youth soccer academy, Villarreal Virginia Academy (VIVA) which will be located in Annandale, Virginia. Villarreal CF coaches and technical directors from Spain will actually be directing VIVA’s soccer training and will use Villarreal’s established philosophy of play for developing players used in their own academy back in Spain! Member’s of staff from Spain’s Villarreal CF will be on-site to provide technical direction, training, education and team coaching to the Villarreal CF Virginia Academy players. Annandale’s Technical Director, Bo Amato, calls the partnership “the first true European professional academy in the United States where the pro club is actively involved in developing players and providing a pathway for youth players in the US.”, surely a good sign for the future of the partnership and all of Annandale’s players! Attached below are the official press releases from Annandale United FC & Villarreal CF on the collaboration as well as a youtube video on the DMV Soccer channel explaining the new relationship between the La Liga & DMV based clubs!

Annandale United FC coaches with Villarreal CF Academy coaches in Virginia

Official Press Releases from both clubs:

Villareal – Annandale Collab Press Release (Annandale PR)

Villarreal – Annandale Collab Press Release (Villarreal PR)