Wednesday 11 December 2019, 11:00

FESFUT successfully opens new football residency in San Salvador

  • With a total of 36 dormitories, the new facility can allocate up to two teams at the same time

  • Comprising 72 beds available for all players and staff, the building was fully funded through the support of the FIFA Forward Programme

  • Modern materials were used in the building’s construction and adequate isolation was ensured and incorporated into the project

  • Recently, the new facility was officially inaugurated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in San Salvador

Seeking to improve its sporting infrastructure, the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) took the initiative, with the help of FIFA Forward development experts, to invest according to a long-term development strategy in building modern and sustainable infrastructures for all of its national teams and affiliated clubs. By establishing the Villa Selecta, a state-of-the-art football residency to accommodate its national and visiting teams, FESFUT is moving forward towards more professionalisation and lasting football development in the Central American region.

The construction of the Villa Selecta was a need identified as one of the key objectives in FESFUT's strategic plan. With the support of the FIFA Forward Programme and the guidance of FIFA’s Member Associations division, the project came to life and became a reality for the football family in El Salvador. Thanks to the new facility, the member association is acquiring worldwide recognition and is now considered as an example to follow and aspire to in the Central American region.

The new centre will host the national teams (women and men) in their different categories. A total of 36 dormitories will be available for all the athletes all year long, which will not only allow the member association to reduce significant costs, but will also create valuable income-generation activities. By providing top level residency services to the clubs and optimising costs, the FESFUT will contribute to strengthen the national teams and visiting teams’ performances.

Another key aspect of this new infrastructure will contribute to shape players’ identity and sense of unity. By reducing the costs related to hospitality and teams’ accommodation, the member association will have access to more resources which could be invested in sports and social development projects for youth in the area. FESFUT also expects to strengthen paramount values related to sports such as fair play, unity and a sense of community for everyone.

FESFUT successfully opens new football residency in San Salvador

The country’s men’s national team reached the highest levels of the competition taking part in the 1970 and 1982 FIFA World Cup™ tournaments and those unforgettable memories will last forever. However, the member association now dreams of achieving those past performance levels again. Hopefully, and thanks to the member association’s efforts, the future looks bright for Salvadoran football and national teams.

For Hugo Carrillo, President of FESFUT: “The Villa Selecta residency is another proof for national and international football of the reality of the financial support that FIFA is providing us; moreover when the funds are invested in an efficient, effective and transparent way.”

“I don’t doubt that, with this infrastructure, all the national team players of our country will feel themselves in a sportive harmonic environment; its existence will have an effect reflected in our resources’ optimisation: the resources coming from FIFA but also those generated by the MA itself. This reality motivates us to keep on going, to try to be an example in growth, update and modernisation of our federation’s infrastructures; we will leverage Forward 2.0 funds at its maximum," he concluded.

His colleague, Carlos de los Cobos, Technical Director of the FESFUT National Team, also noted:

“As a member of this country’s football family, I want to thank FIFA President, Mr Gianni Infantino for all the support he brought to our football scene. Thanks to this support, today the FESFUT has improved its infrastructure, with the construction of Villa Selecta, residency that will host our national teams”.

In full agreement, Gianni Infantino shared his satisfaction during his last visit: “The new facility provides ideal conditions for the national teams’ commitments and will allow hosting four squads at the same time. Villa Selecta is a very good example of an essential infrastructure that is missing in several of our MAs.”