Italian club side, AS Roma will storm Nigeria for a pre-season friendly and also open a football academy in the country.
The decision is one of the highlights of the partnership agreement announced between the Nigeria Football Federation and the Italian club.
While announcing the partnership on their twitter handle, AS Roma added that they have a long term objective being for the club to play an exhibition match in the country.
The two parties also agreed to explore the possibility of AS Roma playing an exhibition match in Nigeria – something that club president Jim Pallotta has championed for some time.
“This formal partnership is the natural evolution of the great relationship between the N.F.F and Roma that began when Roma announced that with Italy absent from the 2018 World Cup, we would be supporting Nigeria,” said Paul Rogers, who traveled to Abuja to agree the partnership with Massimo Tarantino.
“Roma’s digital team began working with the Super Eagles in 2018 on their social media coverage of the World Cup and earlier this year, we again worked with Nigeria during the Africa Cup of Nations. Through our unique use of social media, and initially using the hashtag #ForzaSuperEagles, we’ve developed an incredible and fun rapport with Nigerian football fans, media and celebrities and earlier this year we became the first club outside of Nigeria to launch an official Pidgin account, which is managed in Lagos.
“Jim Pallotta has made no secret of his wish to see Roma play a match in Nigeria as a thank you to the Nigerian fans for the support they have shown us and it would be great if through this partnership, we can make that happen.”
Under the terms of the partnership, #ASRoma & @thenff will explore the opportunity to bring the Serie A club to Nigeria to play an exhibition game in the future, and look into the possibility of opening a Roma youth academy in the country.
Details ➡️ https://t.co/WYbXFcdDsc pic.twitter.com/1y3cY96WLv
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) September 20, 2019
The academy will join the likes of FCB Escola, from Spanish Giant, Barcelona and Juventus Academy already in the country.