KTFF agrees to bring academies of four major Turkish clubs to the TRNC

Hasan Sertoğlu, president of the Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (KTFF), said that the academies of four major Turkish clubs would come to Northern Cyprus and hold a friendly tournament with local children. The agreement was reached after the cancellation of the selection trials and football school camp run by “Barcelona”, which around 500 children were expected to attend.

The camp had been planned for September at the campus of Near East University (Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi) in Lefkoşa. Children aged 12–13 were supposed to train with coaches from Barcelona’s youth academy and take part in selection trials, with the most talented expected to be invited to higher-level training camps. The federation learned of the cancellation on 27 August; Sertoğlu links it to pressure from the Republic of Cyprus.

According to him, the event had no political undertones. “There was no politics, no political message and no search for political gain. There was a desire for our children to play football, develop and pursue their dream,” the federation president said. He asked the European Union and the United Nations why they remain silent when it comes to children playing football.

As Sertoğlu explained, the new programme was prepared through contacts with TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Türkiye’s Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak and Turkish Football Federation president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu. The dates, venue and names of the clubs have not yet been announced.

Sertoğlu acknowledged that the new tournament would not completely dispel the disappointment, but said it was important that the children would take to the field again and meet the academies of major clubs.