Dubai: Souphiane Ourzik has become the first Dubai Sports City’s Spanish Soccer School (SSS) player to have signed for a European club after joining French Ligue 1 side Nantes.
Californian-born French-Moroccan, Ourzik, aged nine, has been training with former Spain and Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado’s academy for one-year, but he is now set for a big move to his mother’s native France.
SSS director of football Michel Salgado and head coach Inaki Beni said Ourzik’s Nantes signing was a landmark for the one-year-old academy.
“We are delighted with the progress that Soufiane has made with us here at SSS and that progress shows we are doing the right things in the way we are coaching kids,” said Salgado.
“Souphiane is just starting out on a long journey and there is no guarantee of success, but the fact he is now in this position is great credit not only to him and his family but also to the SSS coaches, who have been superb this year.
“Souphiane’s switch to France is the latest success story in what has been a great first year of operation for the SSS programme.”
Beni said Ourzik has a bright future ahead of him.
“He is a player with a lot of potential,” said Beni. “His techniques have improved and although tactically he has to develop a lot, he is nine and he has got time.
“In France the competition will be stronger and that will help him improve but it is a great example to all the young players here, a lot of them with real potential, of what is possible.
“We always say the same thing with the young kids, that it is a long process, it is a long path and they will go year-by-year and step-by-step. But the most important thing is always to study very hard with football a consequence of doing things properly in every way.
“Souphiane has lots of talent and we all hope he can apply that talent to become a real success.”
