Colombo Athletic players successfully complete Elite camp at home of AC Milan

Camp players with AC Milan Coaches, technical team, and World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta

Colombo Athletic players at the Elite AC Milan camp

• First such tour to reputed European club, players learn Milan Method 
• World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta meets young players

Colombo Athletic and Football Academy players recently returned after completing a week-long Elite experience camp at AC Milan’s home. Puma House of Football, Vismara, one of AC Milan’s training facilities, played host to this Elite camp. This is the facility where the AC Milan U20 team and the first women’s team trained parallelly, exposing the young footballers to an environment of excellence and professionalism.

14 young players from Colombo Athletic and Football Academy took part in this elite camp, along with student players from 40 countries including Brazil, Portugal, Monaco, Ghana, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Chile, Sweden, England, and Italy, among others. This was an invaluable international experience for all participants.

Colombo Athletic and Football Academy is in a long-term collaboration with AC Milan Academy to develop football and introduce a culture of excellence among the next generation. AC Milan Academy was in Sri Lanka in February 2025, when they conducted camps in Colombo, Galle, and Jaffna. 

This journey of collaboration to bring about change continues with the coaches and students of Colombo Athletic receiving training on the Milan Method, which is a 125-year heritage of one of the most successful football clubs in the world. It has won the second most number of Champions League trophies in the world, the first being Real Madrid.

“To introduce a new culture of excellence in any sport would require a global best practice to be brought to Sri Lanka. For this reason, we knew this journey would not reach a meaningful milestone if a top reputed football club with a successful track record is not involved. Hence, AC Milan became the catalyst to make the difference. In the last eight months, AC Milan has introduced amazing concepts for kids to develop. This is just a start,” said Colombo Athletic and Football Club Academy President Ajai Vir Singh.

During their time in Milan, the players were exposed to match tactics, team planning, technical development, nutrition plans, strength, recovery GPS, and match analysis, among others. On the final day, the certificates were handed over to the players by 2006 Italian squad World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta, who interacted with the young players.

“The collaboration between Colombo Athletic and Football Club Academy and AC Milan represents a unique pathway for young footballers in Sri Lanka to pursue their dreams and connect with one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world,” said Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh. “I believe this partnership will bring Italy and Sri Lanka closer together and inspire new generations of male and female athletes through shared passion, cultural exchange, and mutual ambition. Sport, in this sense, becomes a bridge, promoting values such as discipline, inclusion, teamwork, and respect. These are the foundations on which lasting relationships are built, both on and off the field. I look forward to seeing the next feats of this inspiring journey.”

The AC Milan technical team will be arriving in Colombo to conduct an advanced camp from 8-13 September, which provides a good opportunity for boys and girls aged 7-17 years. They will be trained on modern systems that are being followed in the top football leagues of the world.

“I am pleased with the outcome of the Elite camp in Milan; this is exactly what our next generation needs. There are more being planned. We want more kids to experience this. We want the kids to dream big and to fulfil their dreams and for that we bring the resources—something we didn’t have when we were growing up. This is a wonderful opportunity,” said Colombo Athletic and Football Club Academy Director Fouzul Hameed.

“This experiential workshop was a unique opportunity for a Sri Lankan contingent to be exposed to a world class facility and its methods of playing modern football. Soon, such a training will be brought to Colombo once more with an AC Milan workshop, kicking off on the 9 September,” said Colombo Athletic and Football Club Academy Director Trevor Reckerman. 

Founded in November 2024, this young academy in Colombo boasts a robust coaching system and professional football methods that represent the AC Milan system. The objective is to introduce a modern football system to Sri Lanka.

This journey would not be possible without the earnest support of the partner brands of Colombo Athletic and Football Club Academy; Omega Line, PowerTech Cement, Cinnamon Grand, Servo Lubricants, Prima KottuMee, SOZO Clouds Water, 3M, and HardTalk PR.