City Football Academy opens

Earlier today saw the official opening of the new City Football Academy (CFA), the 80 acre re-generated site adjacent to The Etihad Stadium and part of the whole Etihad Campus.

It looks to be a stunning complex that will house all aspects of the club, from  the playing side with the first team through to the womens team to all of the youth sides as well as providing a number of beneficial aspects for the wider community.

The development includes a 'mini' 7,000 capacity stadium, 16.5 football pitches (with 12.5 designated for youth development), as well as a new sixth-form college, 2,000 mature trees and a 190 metre bridge spanning the development to The Etihad Stadium.

Khaldoon al-Mubarak was one of the delegation who officially opened the development, outlining the vision of the club that has been long in the planning:

"At the outset of his ownership, back in Autumn 2008, His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, set out his vision for the future of Manchester City Football Club.  He pledged to bring success on the field and to nurture young talent whilst at the same time remaining proudly rooted to the community in which it resided.

The cornerstone of the future, was a vision for youth development and sustainability; a vision to educate talented young footballers on and off the pitch and to do so in a facility supported by the best coaches and coaching programmes. The vision was underpinned by an unwavering commitment to the regeneration of the local area in both economic and environmental terms.

Today marks the end of six years of extensive research, development and construction involving many, many people. It also marks the beginning of a responsibility to deliver against the opportunities that this Academy now creates for us."

CityTV has a nice video looking at its evolution with the official site providing the background to the opening. Well worth checking out.