Sabah will establish a 10 million manat financial programme aimed at supporting the sustainable development of youth football, Idman.Biz reports.
The club announced the initiative in an official statement.
Under an order signed by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Sabah received 5 million manats in financial support after qualifying for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.
Seeking to direct this support towards the future of Azerbaijani football, the club has decided to allocate an additional 5 million manats from the funds it will receive for participating in the Champions League to youth football development.
As a result, the initial capital of the "Sabah Football Academy Future Talents" programme will amount to 10 million manats. Half of the sum will come from state support, while the remaining 5 million manats will be provided from the club's own funds.
The programme's key principle is not to spend the initial capital but to preserve and increase it. The funds are expected to be professionally managed to generate income and create a sustainable long-term source of financing.
In addition, part of the revenue from ticket sales for Sabah's UEFA Champions League matches this year will be directed to the programme.
The project aims to ensure the sustainable development of youth football, strengthen the identification and professional training of talented children, introduce modern coaching methods and develop areas including sports science, medical support, performance analytics, education and individual development.
Sabah also plans to expand its nationwide talent identification system and create equal development opportunities for promising young players regardless of where they live or their families' financial circumstances.
The club stressed the importance of ensuring that the initiative complements AFFA's work in youth football development, with particular emphasis on cooperation and the exchange of experience.
In the long term, Sabah intends to expand cooperation with academies, football schools and clubs in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, with the goal of turning its academy into one of the region's leading football development centres.
Sabah will also offer Azerbaijani companies and international partners an opportunity to join the initiative as "Foundation Partners".
The club said further information on the programme's operating principles, management model, partnership mechanisms and future development plans will be announced to the public.
