Aspire Academy has signed a collaboration agreement with the Romanian Football Federation (FRF), making it the 51st member of the Aspire in the World Fellows programme. The partnership highlights the growing ambition of Romanian football and marks a significant step toward strengthening technical capabilities and football infrastructure.
Prof Valter Di Salvo, executive director of Aspire in the World Fellows and director of Football Performance and Science at Aspire Academy, was in Romania to sign the agreement.
"We are excited to welcome the FRF to the Fellows as just the fourth European federation to join this global network of elite clubs, football associations, and leagues.
Our members have been fostering innovation, development, and knowledge exchange in football, with an emphasis on youth players, since 2014. "Joining us will see Romanian football gaining access to cutting-edge best practices in training methodology, performance management, sports science, data analysis, and nutrition. We are also looking forward to hearing how Romania approaches football development and what we can learn from them,” Di Salvo said.
The first major joint project will see Romania hosting The Workshop Tour 2026 Europe in Bucharest from 20-22 April. This will mark the Workshop Tour’s first stop in Europe after previous editions in South America (Buenos Aires) in 2024 and in Asia (Singapore) in 2025.
The tour is part of Aspire Academy’s ongoing commitment to supporting the development of global youth football through its worldwide programme, Aspire in the World Fellows.
The event is dedicated to working with coaches to explore new ideas and innovations in youth football development nationwide.
During the three days of the event, the sessions will cover a wide range of essential topics, including nutrition, psychology, sports science, as well as the technical and tactical aspects of the game.
The workshop will bring together global experts and local practitioners through a series of theoretical presentations, practical on-field sessions and community initiatives.
As part of the Aspire in the World Fellows, the FRF will also participate in the annual Aspire Academy Global Summit in the latter part of 2026.
The event brings together all the members of the Fellows to explore the latest innovations in advancing player development, performance, and knowledge exchange.