Shanghai Shenhua opens an international football academy

Nazee Borio is the soccer mom turned manageress dynamo behind Shanghai Shenhua’s new look international division.

How did you come to be involved in the Shenhua academy?
A couple of years ago my 10-year-old son, Hamza, was playing with an expat club and it just wasn’t enough for him. So we put an advert up and a private coach from Yangpu University contacted me. He had a look at him and recommended Hamza to Shenhua. He had a three-day trial and became the first foreigner to be accepted to join the academy full-time.

It must have been tough…
It was, but we just watched the training and were very impressed. They train five days a week, build up stamina, they do gym work and put a big emphasis on stretching, plus the mental preparation they give them for the game. I believe they are the best in China at this moment.

And now he’s paved the way for other expat kids?
I knew from talking with other parents that they were not content with the expat clubs and wanted then to see then organization. So I started to petition Shenhua to open up an expat acadamy. At first they were like, “No way.” I think they thought I was crazy! But the second year they started to listen and I began to win their trust and before I knew it I was sitting down to meetings. I told them, “You’re in charge of the training, I’ll manage it. The children are registered with me, you concentrate 100 percent on the football.” And they went for it. Of course, maybe there was a change in the market, whatever, but you have to be in the right place at the right time.

So how is it going?
Great. Still early days but I have nine coaches training 50 kids from under-10s through to under-16s after school and at weekends, with some prepared to travel great distances to attend sessions. We even have the assitant coach of the men’s team, Xie Hui, training the keepers. Shenhua facilities, Shenhua methods and Shenhua coaches – it really is a unique situation for international kids.

And now you’re expanding it to adults?
Yeah, there was a lot of interest from older guys so we’ve just started a new program for over-21s on Saturdays and Sundays. Training covers skills, tactics, speed development, goalkeeper training and physical contouring. I’m billing it as ‘a call to play like your footballing idol’, and the aim is to play with Shenhua’s first team.

We hear you also have plans for a women’s side?
Yeah we have a new coach with excellent experience on board specifically to train women, so if there are any out there looking for a club then get in touch.

For more information email Nazee Borio at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or call her on 136 5184 4791

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