OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission for young football players and their families is to empower each player on their unique journey to maximise their potential, by providing them with the necessary tools to grow both as athletes and as individuals off-the-field. We foster their growth within a supportive family environment emphasising the importance of self-accountability and personal development.

Our Promise

As we operate with honesty, transparency and integrity, unlike other academies you may have seen – we will not promise outcomes to our players that are not guaranteed, such as; “professional contract offers within a month”, “trials with La Liga clubs within a month”, or any other promise that you may see or hear from academies. Our promises are simple and are clear:

1.     We will provide you with high quality training in a competitive environment with like-minded players who are also looking to reach their potential.

2.     You will receive continual guidance and education from our experienced coaches teachers and mentors, who have designed a program with extensive knowledge of what young players need to reach their potential.

3.     You will have the opportunity to showcase your talent either organically in the league fixtures or through showcase matches that are specifically arranged with the purpose of exposure.

4.     We want you to develop as young men and not just as players, you will receive life skills lessons while you are with us. Our program requires discipline and this is instilled from day one.

5.     We collaborate with current and former ACFC Academy players to ensure our experience always offers the best value.

Our message is also clear - only apply if you have the discipline and dedication to follow an intense training schedule and are willing to listen to coaches, teachers and mentors and follow their guidance to help you reach your potential.

OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Our CAMPUS

Live in a residence that has everything at your fingertips! At the ACFC Soccer Academy, we aim to give our players the necessary tools required to become the best football player that they can be. Our modern facilities help our players to develop and improve their skills, not only on our training pitch, but also in the gym. The housing has it’s own swimming pool, basketball net, table tennis table, pool table and other amenities to ensure our players are comfortable and stimulated during down time.

FRANCISCO ‘PANCHO' GUERRERO, 1st team head coach

Not many football clubs can boast a world cup winning goal scorer as their first team coach, but that´s exactly who we have here at ACFC. Pancho scored in Argentina U20´s win against Brazil in the 1995 Youth World Cup. Hailing from Buenos Aires, Pancho played at the very top level in his native country of Argentina, spending the majority of his time at the world famous club Independiente before moving to Switzerland to play for 2 of Switzerland's biggest clubs, FC Zurich and FC Basel.

Moving into coaching, Pancho has coached at Alicante CF & CD Campello (Spain) and Coquimbo Unido & CD O Higgins (Chile) before joining ACFC midway through the 2021/22 season, where he guided the team to their highest ever finish of 5th place.

Phil joined ACFC Academy in 2017, having previously coached at Crystal Palace FC. After moving to Spain, Phil gained a Masters degree in Talent Identification and Player Development from Real Madrid.

In addition to his role at the as U19s coach, Phil works as the Director of Methodology at Alicante City FC.

life skills

For the majority of our ACFC Soccer Academy players, this will be their first time living abroad, separately from their families or guardians. What we try to instill in our players is the ability to live independently, with the skillset to solve problems themselves and to take responsibility for their own lives. 

We have built a solid reputation with clubs, organisations, managers, coaches and players for not only developing high level players, but also for having a team of hard working, eager, respectful, independent players. At ACFC Soccer Academy, our off the field traits are as important as our behaviour on the field. 

To help prepare players for their future journeys, we offer various life skills sessions and workshops, alongside ongoing daily support.  These vary from personal growth classes and mental health awareness sessions, to more professional skills such as CV and application writing sessions, interview techniques and preparation classes, presentation skills, along with media training.