Johor Darul Ta’azim will be hosting Spanish giants Valencia CF in a joint training session at the Dato Suleiman Mohd Noor Training Facility this week.
Several Valencia players are scheduled to fly in for a training session that’s scheduled for Thursday, which comes one day after their MSL clash against Pahang. Club officials will also be flying in for a strategic meeting to discuss future collaborations with JDT’s management.
“This is part of HRH TMJ’s global approach in the developing of football in Johor. In conjunction with the training session, representatives from Valencia and La Liga will meet with JDT Senior Management to discuss the ongoing development of our Academy,” a statement on Johor Southern Tigers’ official Facebook page read.
According to details on Valencia’s official website, Javi Fuego, Santi Mina, Matthew Ryan and Jaume Domenech will be travelling to Singapore alongside head coach Pako Ayestaran as well as Valencia legends, David Albelda and Gaizka Mendieta.
“During their visit to Asia, the Valencianistas will visit a community centre in a local neighbourhood in Singapore, take part in a business summit with Turismo Valencia and Lladró, support a UN Women campaign in the region, attend an event organised by the Singapore Olympic Foundation, star in a meet & greet with young fans from Singapore and Australia, visit Malaysian football club Johor Darul Ta’zim, and participate in the charity event ‘Football with a Heart’- a football match that will involve several high-profile personalities from Singapore,” the Spanish club said through a statement on their site.
Valencia is owned by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, who also runs a foundation in Singapore that offers sports scholarships to aspiring local athletes. He’s a close friend of Tunku Ismail and has reportedly played a major part in helping JDT establish relationships with key individuals within the global football scene.
In February, TMJ was pictured in a discussion with ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, super-agent Jorge Mendes as well as Peter Lim. The Johor Crown Prince then embarked on a trip to Europe; meeting leaders from teams like Paris St. Germain, Real Madrid as well as Barcelona.
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