Spanish giants Barcelona announced on Thursday (2nd March) that the club would be opening its third U.S. based training academy, this one set for Austin, Texas.

The third school is due to open this month and it will join existing schools in Charlotte, Noth Carolina and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The school will have two separate programs: the first if for boys and girls in the age group of 6 to 10 years and the second is for boys aged 12 to 16.

The club officials said that the academy’s goal is to train young players in the same “attacking style" as the top team.

With the new school, Barcelona will expand its reach in the North America, which is one of the strategic market for the club, after opening its permanent office in New York last September. Austin joins with the two other schools in the country (Florida and Charlotte). And four more in Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa).

Barcelona’s youth academy “La Masia” in Spain has produced promising world-class  players like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and many more.

The 24 times Spanish champions have 20 training schools around the world. Last month they partnered with Mission Hills Group to launch a new FCBEscola in China, which is going to be the first of its kind football schools directly managed by the club.

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