Surabaya And Liverpool Increase Football Development Cooperation

SURABAYA - The City Governments of Surabaya and Liverpool, England continue to enhance Sister City's cooperation in football development programs through a number of trainings.

Mayor of Surabaya Eri Cahyadi said, one of the results of the current Surabaya-Liverpool collaboration is Tranmere Rovers FC (TRFC) Liverpool providing training to talented young footballers as well as hundreds of elementary and junior high school sports teachers and Football School (SSB) coaches in Surabaya.

"This training on soccer science and technique will be held for the next six weeks on a hybrid basis. This is a form of sister city cooperation in sports between Surabaya and Liverpool," he said, quoted by Antara, Friday, October 8.

Through the training provided by TRFC Liverpool, Eri is optimistic that Surabaya will have world-class football talent in the future.

Mayor Eri Cahyadi hopes that this initiative can continue so that Surabaya can produce international football players, with guidance from Merseyside.

He said cooperation in the football development program between Liverpool and Surabaya was the second time. Because in 2018, he continued, several talented young footballers from Surabaya, including Supriyadi, had the opportunity to take part in an elite soccer camp at the Tranmere Rovers professional training complex, Liverpool.

In fact, in 2020, TRFC trainers also visited Surabaya to provide training for other talented Surabaya youths.

"This is happiness for me as the Mayor of Surabaya. Because Surabaya's closeness to Liverpool is maintained. Not only in one field of football, but in many ways. Hopefully, Sister City can continue and this can be a passion for us Surabaya to create talents. an even greater football talent," said Eri Cahyadi.

Even though the six-week training will be carried out in a hybrid manner, Mayor Eri Cahyadi believes that the training can run optimally. In fact, he admits that he is optimistic that, through this training, more and more talented and great footballers will emerge from the City of Heroes.

"Hopefully what Liverpool has given to Surabaya will have a tremendous impact, thank you. What is given to the city of Surabaya will be a beautiful memory, I am sure there will be great coaches or players," he said.

The Mayor of Surabaya also advised all training participants not to hesitate and hesitate to ask questions. Because at this time they are meeting with professional people from Liverpool who are experts in the field of football.

"We hope that all friends who take part in this training never hesitate to ask questions. Because we meet people, with great coaches," he said.

As is known, during the signing of the sister city memorandum of understanding between the two cities which took place in Surabaya on March 19, 2018, football became the main area of cooperation. As a result of the memorandum of understanding, several football programs have been implemented through Tranmere Rovers Football Club, based in Wirral, Merseyside.

However, the football development program was later postponed after COVID-19 hit the world. Now, Tranmere brings back a new hybrid football development program that will take place in the midst of a pandemic.

This training includes an online education seminar for trainers which will be held from 6 October 2021 for the next six weeks. This program will be followed by in-house training in Surabaya guided by TRFC international academy coaches, and an elite training camp in Liverpool for Surabaya U13-15 years selected in 2022.