What is the best football academy to join in Dubai?

When looking for a football academy in Dubai, there are lots of factors to consider. Each player is looking for something different so there isn't a "one size fits all" answer.

Here are 5 important factors to consider when searching for football academies in Dubai and why we think Gulf United may be a good choice for you...

1) Credibility

One of the first thing you need to look at is how credible is a football academy and do they do things the "right way". Some academies in Dubai achieve credibility by franchising from bigger clubs from abroad for example, Manchester City Football Schools, Juventus Academy Dubai, Barca Academy Dubai, Ajax Academy Dubai and the list goes on. There are other academies such as La Liga, Go Pro and Elite who have achieved credibility by having a long history in the country. At Gulf United, we are proud to be a Dubai-based and Dubai-created football club. The club started in 2019 with 3 British Coaches who wanted to create credible pathways for their players. Since our creation, we have done many things to prove our credibility such as winning back to back league titles and partnering with reputable brands such as Arsenal, adidas and Volkswagen. We also demonstrate our credibility with the professional players who choose to visit our club multiple times per season.

2) Focus on Long Term Development

When looking for the best football academy, it's important to make a decision for the future, not just for the now. There are many academies that focus on short term results from game to game rather than thinking from term to term and year to year. A great football academy creates an environment where once you join, you never want to leave. A community where your love for the club gets stronger each and every year. Most importantly, a football academy should be developing a player and a person with their future and potential in mind. A player should have the opportunity to try many different positions, make mistakes and feel uncomfortable within match situations where they may be trying something new. A player should be able to be express themselves on the pitch and be rewarded for their efforts not the outcome. At Gulf United, we always pick levels and choose leagues that will challenge our teams. Ultimately, we are player focused and it is the player's development that is much more important than the coaches ego. We offer tailored training programs across a wide age range, starting from early childhood through to young adulthood. This enables players to progress within one ecosystem, with continuity in coaching philosophy and performance benchmarks.

3) Coaches

A great coach makes strong bonds with players and has individual relationships. A great coach develops different ways of communicating with their players and gets the best out of each and every player. Of course, a great coach needs to have an in-depth understanding of the game and experience in order to gain the respect of their players. This comes once again back to credibilty. At Gulf United, our coaches are first of all role models to the players. They set standards that can be applied on and off the pitch to make our players better people as well as players. We emphasise holistic development — not just athletic skills. This includes building leadership, discipline, teamwork, and resilience, preparing players for success both on and off the pitch.

4) Pathways

Something that is lacking in the Dubai football market is credible pathways. The UAE Football Landscape is growing and the rules are changing to make professional football available to more players. Professional football is only realistic for a small percentages. As well as that, those percentages are decreased further when players move from academy to academy throughout their development years. At Gulf United, we don't just train players — we provide clear progression routes. Talented players from the academy can graduate into the senior team, which competes in the UAE’s professional leagues, or be scouted for overseas opportunities in education or professional football.

5) Philosophy

Football is a game of opinions. We are lucky to have so many different cultures and game models within the UAE because of its multiculturalism. There is no "right" philosophy but it is "right" to have a clear style of play which the whole club builds towards. At Gulf United, most of our coaches are British and we have created a clear philosophy built around our four core values; energy, bravery, creativity and togetherness. In all of our teams from U5s to the First Team we foster a clear identity and culture. This builds a sense of belonging and loyalty among players, which is key to sustained development over years.

There are many more factors to consider. I wonder what is your most important?