Barca Academy’s New Technical Director Denis Silva Comes From LA MASIA in Barcelona, Spain
After 7 years coaching top teams at La Masia, Denis Silva brings FC Barcelona coaching methodology, philosophy, and history of success to the famous club’s only residential youth soccer academy outside of Spain.
The famous Futbol Club Barcelona, commonly known as Barça, is one of the ultra top professional soccer clubs in the world and has created a strong presence in the USA. The Barca Academy is FC Barcelona’s only residential youth soccer academy outside of La Masia — and will reflect its world-class player development program.
Related Soccer News: BARCELONA KICKS OFF ONLY USA RESIDENTIAL ACADEMY and Exclusive Interview with BARCA ACADEMY’S DENNIS SILVA FROM LA MASIA
FC Barcelona (FCB) and Grande Sports Academy are excited to announce Denis Silva as Barça Academy’s Technical Director. Silva joins Barça Academy after serving most recently as the First Assistant Coach for the FCB U18 team at La Masía – FC Barcelona’s world famous youth academy.
Silva will oversee the player development, coaching education and implementation of the renowned FC Barcelona training methodology at the full-time year round residency program in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Barça Academy is a partnership between FC Barcelona, one of the most famous soccer teams in the world, with a worldwide reputation for player development and Grande Sports Academy, where every single graduate since its opening has received a college scholarship or has signed a professional soccer contract.
Silva carries a UEFA PRO License and has a history of coaching youth players at the highest level in La Masía, the youth Academy of FC Barçelona in Barcelona, Spain.
Silva joined FC Barcelona in 2010 and served in various coaching roles with the Club including the Head Coach of both the U13 and U14 Academy teams.
While at FC Barcelona, Silva led teams to championships in sixteen different elite tournaments and leagues and during one particularly dominant stretch in 2013-14, he led his U14 squad to a record of 26-2-2 during one 30-game run.
“FC Barcelona and Barça Academy worked jointly to select Denis Silva — is the perfect choice to implement the FCB methodology, philosophy and to foster and enhance the already well-established commitment to excellence that has been the trademark at Grande Sports Academy since 2010,” said Barça Academy GM Tim Alai.
“Carrying the Barça shield over the heart is a great responsibility, wherever we will go, whoever we will be with, we will show the Barça DNA,” said Silva.
“Denis is a great teacher of the game, motivator in the classroom and he will be an effective and devoted mentor to our players and our coaches,” said Alai. “He embodies our core values, and our holistic player development with the nation’s finest youth soccer training facility, which prepares our student athletes for success in life.”
Balancing the youth soccer players’ passion for development with lifelong skills and education is fundamental to the program.
“We will strive for excellence, not only playing beautiful and enjoying soccer inside the field, also off the field between the education and the values that make Barça as big as it is today,” said Silva.
Off the field, Silva’s educational background is equally impressive. He has a Ph.D. in Pedagogy and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rovira i Virgili University.
“Denis values great education by Arizona State University Prep on campus and will be an inspirational mentor to our players and coaches. He personifies what we provide on and off the field to prepare our student athletes for success in life,” said Alai.
Silva’s extensive educational background and years of experience at La Masía make him uniquely qualified to teach the FC Barcelona methodology to the Barça Academy students.
The Barca mantra is “Més que un club” which translates into “More than a club”
Silva speaks Spanish, Catalan, and English and brings a host of worldly experience both on the field and in the classroom that makes his hiring so outstanding for Barça Academy.
Silva has an extensive background in physical education, psychology, and sports and has authored several published pieces combining this knowledge with the sport of soccer.
Did you know? FC Barcelona has 100 Million Followers …
FC Barcelona is one of the most powerful brands in sports with more than 100,000,000 people following on Facebook and ranked by Forbes as one of the most valuable teams in the world.
The club was founded by Joan Gamper, a Swiss football lover, on November 29th, 1899 and since then the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism through the years.
FC Barcelona has set the gold standard with their soccer methodology and their indisputable success in the realm of youth development — with graduates from La Masia including Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Pep Guardiola and Xavi to name just a few.
Did you know? Grande Sports Academy was home to RSL …
Grande Sports Academy (GSA) has been one of the top USSDA academies in the United States. Grande Sports Academy was the first to offer a complete residency program that included dorms, daily nutrition, a superior athletic complex, safety, security, tutoring, college preparation, and to be affiliated with an MLS team.
Every Grande Sports Academy graduate has signed a professional contract or earned a college scholarship to schools such as Stanford, UCLA, and Virginia. Overall 68 GSA graduates have competed on one of their country’s National Teams. GSA teams have won one US Soccer Development Academy National Championship, finished second twice and competed in the National Finals in four of its first five years of existence.
GSA has offered scholarship opportunities to players from various backgrounds to ensure they have the best chance to succeed both on the field, in the classroom, and in life.
Grande Sports World is in Casa Grande, Arizona, just 45 minutes from Phoenix International Airport.
Grande Sports World includes eight soccer fields (six lighted ) with an adjacent 58,000 square foot training facility. Often providing facilities to U.S. Soccer for high-level coaching license courses, MLS Club training, US Youth Soccer’s Arizona Olympic Development Programs and other sporting events for companies like NIKE, Grande Sports World serves as a training destination for youth, professional and national soccer teams from around the globe. Adjacent to Grande Sports World is the Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort which provides housing and dining for Barca Academy students and teams visiting for training and competition.
Visit the Barça Academy website for more information
