Former Ghanaian international Kwadwo Asamoah has unveiled how he successfully enlisted the support of Italian Serie A club Juventus for the establishment of the SMAC Academy.
Initially, Asamoah planned to collaborate with several clubs he had played for, but everything changed following a single phone call from Juventus club officials.
He elaborated that he had shared the project concept with Juventus coach Maximiliano Allegri and the Juventus Team Manager during a phone call, and they readily agreed to come on board.
Asamoah credits his deep-rooted relationship with and respect for the club as instrumental in securing Juventus’ endorsement for the initiative.
Speaking at the opening of the Juventus Academy Ghana, Kwadwo Asamoah shared, “One day, Juventus coach Allegri and the team manager called me due to the relationship and respect I had for my club, coaches, and teammates. During our conversation, I told them about the project I was working on.”
He continued, “They asked me why I hadn’t informed them earlier, and I explained that my colleague was already in touch with them. Since that day, I have handed everything over to my colleague, and it took us less than three weeks to bring Juventus on board. This demonstrates how a player’s relationship and respect within the club can have a positive impact.”
The Juventus Academy Ghana was officially launched on October 27, 2023, and is located at the SMAC Sports Centre in Accra.
This partnership was made possible through the joint efforts of former Juventus player Kwadwo Asamoah and Massimiliano Colasuonno Taricone, the Italian Consulate to Ghana.