Academia Cristiano Ronaldo
Sporting CP's training academy, renamed after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2020.
The Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, previously called the Academia Sporting and also known as the Academia de Alcochete, serves as the football training complex for Sporting CP. It sits outside the town of Alcochete in Portugal’s Setúbal District. The facility houses the Sporting CP Youth Academy, which trained players like Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo from an early age.
The academy opened in 2002 on the far side of the Tagus River from Lisbon, built as a brand-new home for Sporting CP’s training operations and youth development system. During UEFA Euro 2004, it served as one of the training bases for the Portugal national team. In 2006, the then-named Academia de Alcochete was rebranded as the Sporting/Puma Academy under a sponsorship deal with the sports brand Puma, which lasted until 2012.
This academy became the first sports training facility in Europe to earn the ISO9001:2008 quality certification, awarded by the Portuguese company EIC. In June 2010, Sporting CP signed its first international consultancy contract for sports training, a three-year partnership with the Al-Ahli Saudi Soccer Academy in Saudi Arabia.
On 15 May 2018, after Sporting finished third in the Portuguese league, around fifty fanatical supporters from the club’s ultras group attacked several players and coaches at the academy. Those ultras were later banned from the club for life and prosecuted by legal authorities.
On 21 September 2020, the academy was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo in honor of Cristiano Ronaldo, the most decorated footballer to come through Sporting CP’s youth system.
Both Sporting CP B, the reserve men’s team, and the main Sporting CP women’s team play their home matches at the Estádio Aurélio Pereira, located within the academy. The stadium, named after long-serving youth scout Aurélio Pereira, has a seating capacity of 1,180.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Alcochete, Portugal
- Opened
- 2002
- Owner
- Sporting CP
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The academy was inaugurated in 2002 on the opposite bank of the Tagus River from Lisbon as a brand new infrastructure of Sporting CP's football training facilities, including those belonging to its youth development system. It served as one of the training grounds for the Portugal national football team during UEFA Euro 2004. The academy was renamed the Sporting/Puma Academy from 2006 to 2012 to reflect a sponsorship and naming contract with the sports brand Puma. It was the first sports academy in Europe to receive the ISO9001:2008 quality certification awarded by EIC. In June 2010, Sporting CP signed a three-year consultancy contract with Al-Ahli Saudi Soccer Academy in Saudi Arabia. On 15 May 2018, after Sporting finished third in the Portuguese league, several players and coaches were attacked by around fifty fanatic supporters of Sporting's ultras at the academy; those ultras were later banned for life from the club and prosecuted by legal authorities. On 21 September 2020, the academy was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo after Cristiano Ronaldo, the most decorated football player ever to emerge from Sporting CP's youth development system.
Reader's Guide
The Academia Cristiano Ronaldo represents a significant institution in Portuguese football, serving as the primary training and youth development hub for Sporting CP. Its importance stems from its role in producing world-class talent, most notably Luís Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter of whom became the most decorated football player to emerge from the club's youth system. The academy's facilities include the Estádio Aurélio Pereira, named after long-serving head youth player scout Aurélio Pereira, which hosts both Sporting CP B and the main Sporting CP women's football team. The academy's history includes notable events such as being a training ground for the Portugal national team during UEFA Euro 2004, achieving the first ISO9001:2008 certification for a sports academy in Europe, and a violent attack by ultras in 2018 that led to lifetime bans and prosecutions. The 2020 renaming after Cristiano Ronaldo cemented the academy's legacy as a cradle of football excellence, while its international consultancy work with Al-Ahli Saudi Soccer Academy demonstrated its influence beyond Portugal.
Did You Know?
- On 15 May 2018, around fifty fanatic ultras attacked players and coaches at the academy, leading to lifetime bans and prosecutions.
- The academy was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo on 21 September 2020.
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