• Put the diplomacy du sport
• Roberto Carlos’s visit and Miguel Palacios
• To open the doors of major European clubs to local players
MWednesday February 14, 2024. Around 3:30 p.m., a private jet from Spain lands on the tarmac at Ouagadougou International Airport, with Roberto Carlos and Miguel Palacios on board, all former Real players. from Madrid. They are welcomed upon their descent by the Chief of Staff of the President of the Transition, Captain Anderson Medah, the Minister of Sports, Youth and Employment, Boubacar Savadogo, and many other personalities of Burkinabè football.
It is not usual under the skies of the land of honest men to welcome Brazilian football stars. The moment is solemn and the reason is worth it. Burkina Faso now intends to put its sports diplomacy on track. “Roberto Carlos and the members of his delegation are internationally known personalities. A few months ago, it was Samuel Eto’o, today it’s Roberto Carlos. Their visits bring visibility to our country. In the discussions we had and which we will continue with them, we talked about a certain number of important projects,” introduces Lazare Banssé, president of the Burkinabè Football Federation (FBF).
For the head of the national football umbrella, it is about offering Burkinabè players the chance to continue their careers in major European clubs. “Today we have talented young people who dream of playing in big clubs. And you need an address book to catch the eye of the big clubs. Roberto Carlos has these addresses which could help open the doors of major European clubs to these children who want to enter the elite of world football. Compared to other countries, with equal talent, we do not have as many players in the big clubs,” convinces Lazare Banssé.
Announced several times but never carried out, the implementation of this sports diplomacy will bring a breath of fresh air to king sport. Initiatives had already been taken in the past without any success. For example, to put an end to salary arrears in the local championship, the national seminar on sports and leisure, held from June 18 to 20, 2018, in Ouagadougou, recommended, among other things, the transformation of associative clubs into corporate clubs. , with a system of shareholders and Board of Directors. All recommendations remained wishful thinking. The consequence is there. Players are forced to skip training or championship matches because of several months of unpaid salaries.
The initiative revives hope for these young people who are in training centers. They will be able to serve as a replacement, if they join good clubs, for football and bring the first continental star to Faso. “After the difficult CAN that we had in Ivory Coast, we have talent and we are forced to reinvent ourselves to allow the team to have its first star. The objective of Burkina today must no longer be to participate in competitions but to aim for the first star, because the people deserve it,” specifies Charles Kaboré, former captain of the national team.
Hope for children who aspire to play in major European clubs. But the initiative still needs to have a successful outcome.o
Issa SAWADOGO (Collaborator)
Boxed
Building football schools of the future
Roberto Carlos and Miguel Palacios who, during their 72-hour stay in the land of honest men, will have working sessions with training center managers, say they are ready to take up the challenge. “I was welcomed in a good atmosphere. But the most important thing is to start working with young people, schools in Burkina Faso. I hope that great players will come out of Burkina Faso. It will be about building football schools of the future. We are going to do interviews for that,” said the former Real Madrid left-back. His compatriot gave the same story. “We want to help Burkina and talented players go far in football. We also intend to share our experience with them, so that they have opportunities in the future,” added Miguel Palacios.
Also read:
