(L-R) Benjamin Houri, Technical Director of PSG Academy; Nadia Benmokhtar, Director of Diversification at Paris Saint-Germain; Didier Manin, Marketing Director of UrbanSoccer; Jérémy Ménez, former PSG player;
Credit: Elza Osmane, Chronicle.lu
On Wednesday 18 March 2026, French professional football club, Paris Saint-Germain, inaugurated its first training academy programme for youth, PSG Academy, in Luxembourg at the indoor sports centre, Sport4Lux, in Munsbach, attracting 64 children.
PSG Academy operates as an official partner of UrbanSoccer, which has managed Sport4Lux in Luxembourg since 2010. The project emerged from a joint initiative between PSG and UrbanSoccer, which already cooperates in France and decided together to expand to Luxembourg.
The launch took place on the football pitch, where key stakeholders and former PSG player, Jérémy Ménez, delivered brief speeches in French to children and their families.
To open the official part, Didier Manin, Marketing Director of UrbanSoccer, welcomed attendees and highlighted the role of UrbanSoccer in bringing the project to Luxembourg following its acquisition of Sport4Lux.
Nadia Benmokhtar, Director of Diversification at Paris Saint-Germain and former football player, in her address emphasised the global scale of the academy, noting that children in Luxembourg now “join a network of more than 50,000 players worldwide”.
Benjamin Houri, Technical Director of PSG Academy, explained that all training sessions follow the same structure as those delivered in Paris, with coaches trained directly by PSG staff.
After greeting the young participants, Jérémy Ménez addressed the adults, highlighting: “It is very important for young players to have a good environment to progress, with educators who take care of them well. When I was young, I did not have all these conditions, and I would have liked to have more support to improve.” He added: “Beyond football, it is also about education and values. Coaches play an important role in helping children grow, not only as players but also as individuals.”
Speaking with Chronicle.lu, the stakeholders further elaborated on the project, with Nadia Benmokhtar explaining that PSG Academy forms part of a global network present in more than 22 countries. She said: “We want to give children the same PSG experience everywhere in the world, with the same training methodology as in Paris, so they can learn, improve, enjoy football and feel part of the PSG family.”
Didier Manin highlighted the structure of the programme, noting that it includes holiday camps and a year-round offer where children can train once or twice a week, without competitive matches, instead focusing on development and enjoyment.
Providing further insight into the training approach, Benjamin Houri added: “All of the academies in the world use the same training methodology and philosophy as the Elite Youth Academy in Paris. The objective is to develop intelligent and creative players who understand the game and make decisions for themselves. The players are involved in the training session and the exercises are designed to be both fun and challenging physically and cognitively.”
Following the speeches, children took part in a discovery training session designed to introduce the PSG methodology and allow them to experience the approach before deciding whether to continue with the programme. Family members remained present to support them, with many children accompanied not only by parents but also by grandparents and older siblings.
The event concluded with an informal cocktail reception.
