Tata Football Academy and Sheffield United Football Club announced a tie-up today to impart professional soccer training to TFA coaches and cadets.

As part of this tie-up, SUFC will formulate a 12-month programme on coaching, fitness and professional development of coaches and cadets. During this time, it will depute one coach and one fitness advisor. While the coach in charge will be entrusted to impart lessons on technical aspects of the game, the fitness coach will advise the team on sports science, strength and conditioning work and dietary requirements. The training will also include lessons on strategy for player recruitment, identification and profiling.

On an exchange visit as part of the curriculum, TFA coaches will visit SUFC academy to study the coaching pattern, strength and condition methods. This apart, few outstanding cadets of TFA will have an opportunity to train at SUFC periodically. This training is primarily designed with the intention of improving the training modules at TFA. The experience of Sheffield coaches, administrators and technical staff will greatly help in enhancing the skill of TFA coaches and cadets.

Speaking on the issue, Mr Sanjiv Paul said, “Tata Football Academy, the first professional football academy of the country, has rendered yeoman services to the cause of Indian football for the last 23 years. The national football team and all A Division clubs have a large presence of TFA cadets. The tie-up with Sheffield United Football Club of UK will open a new chapter in offering advanced professional training for the cadets of TFA and give them an opportunity to expose them to professional football. We look forward to the tie-up as a beginning of a new phase where we hope that our cadets will raise the bar in Indian football and hopefully improve its world ranking.”

Mr Cameron said, “This tie-up between Sheffield and TFA will start a new chapter for SUFC in India which has a great tradition for football and unmatched enthusiasm. We hope to channel this into producing world class football teams in the coming years.”

About Tata Football Academy
The Tata Football Academy is a path breaking enterprise by Tata Steel to supplement the efforts of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in enhancing Indian football standards by nurturing young talents through an orchestrated endeavour aimed at excellence. Established in 1987, TFA has successfully trained more than 164 cadets with nearly 75% of them representing India in various International competitive tournaments and exposure visits. Almost all graduates of Tata Football Academy have found a pride of place with Professional Clubs in Indian league and 18 of them have moved on to captain the Indian Football team in various age group competitions. TFA’s latest batches have been awarded contracts valued at par with Business Management Graduates from some of the Premier Institutes of India.

About Sheffield United Football Club (SUFC)
Sheffield United Football Club was formed as an offshoot of the Sheffield United Cricket Club. Its nickname, The Blades, is a reference to Sheffield's long history of steel manufacturing. Replete with soccer heritage and legends, SUFC has the distinction of holding the first ever floodlit match in 1878 at Bramall Lane. Its first major success on the pitch came way back in 1898 when United lifted the football league First Division Trophy. United have added to their kitty the Second and Fourth Tier league titles. The club became a part of footballing lore when they figured in the first football match broadcast over the radio. SUFC are founder members of the Premier League.