The Founder of FC Hearts, Adam Mouktar Mohammed, has declared that the co-operation between the club and top Greek club PAOK is one that will take the Nigerian club to another enviable height.
Since their formation in 1999, FC Hearts have produced several exciting stars, from double champion in Belgium this past season, Alhassan Yusuf, to former Golden Eaglets stars like Macauley Chrisantus and Musa Mohammed.
“PAOK are a great club, among the top four clubs in Greece, who play European competitions regularly,” Mouktar Mohammed said.
“They are based in the second biggest city in Greece and boast a great fans’ base as well as rich tradition.
“This project is important to PAOK and we believe Nigeria needs such because it will change Nigerian football for good.
“With all modesty I have been a huge part of Nigeria football development at the grassroots level and I can say that we need to do more because talent isn’t enough.
“We need hard work, that effort and that collaboration, which will impact on the rest of Africa because Nigeria is the heart of West Africa, where the best football is played.”
The co-operation between PAOK and FC Hearts is for an initial three years, which covers coaches and players exchange and development among many other benefits.
PAOK Academy top officials, Georgios Gkourtsas and Ebenezer Hagan, represented the Greek club at this epoch-making partnership, which kicked off Thursday morning with an interactive meeting at the Blu Cabana in Abuja.
Gkourtsas said this is PAOK first-ever collaboration in Africa and will stress on foundation, football philosophy as well as social impact of football.
“The collaboration is in several aspects, both technical and tactical, as well as the organizational structure,” he further explained.
The top PAOK officials will be in the capital city till Monday as they familiarize themselves with the many opportunities that Nigeria football offers them.
Chuba Akpom, Ifeanyi Udeze and Anderson Esiti are some of the Nigeria stars who have featured for ‘The Black and Whites’.
The club were founded in 1926 and have never been relegated from the Greek top flight.
