Earlier this year FFA announced funding would be withdrawn from the Centre of Excellence (COE) which in its halcyon days produced the likes of Socceroos Mark Viduka, Andrew Bernal, and Ned Zelic.

The closure of the once thriving football factory, which developed future stars for the Australian national team since 1981 has caused much debate in the wider football community.

FSA is a private football school which employs former Danish International Jesper Olsen and former Belgium International Geoff Claeys as Coaching director and Technical Director respectively.

FSA’s founder Nikolakopoulos, said they are in discussions with the Australian Sporting Commission who facilitate and run the centre about taking over the Canberra based sporting complex.

“It will be a new program and the number one thing we are going to do is increase the number of kids in the program and give them international exposure,” he said.

“We will have players on a scholarship and our model would also look at players aged 17-21. Currently the FFA’s COE have been looking at 14-year-olds and they have had their issues with that.

“Instead of cutting funding to it we add funding. The players will participate in playing tournaments against the best, having the best possible coaching staff available and maximising and utilising the AIS sports science set up.”

Nikolakopoulos said another feature of their program would mimic the setup of the former Australian Institute of Sport program.

“The current COE have had players billeted out to families and we would bring the players back on campus,” he said.

“There will be no difference from what the A-League clubs and how they run their academies but the big difference will be our academy will be full time and they will be living on site compared to more of a part-time set up.

Nikolakopoulos said unlike the FFA which had cut costs over the past decade the FSA would invest in the program.

“It’s a long term 10-year project but we see the value in investing in these kids and giving them the best of what’s happening within world football today within their own country,” he said.

FSA said they would also look at including Aboriginal youth and female players as part of their intake.

“Some of the big additions and benefits to what we are looking at doing is introducing a program that is available to Indigenous players,” said Nikolakopoulos.

“There is a massive opportunity to have Indigenous players playing soccer early and being identified from a younger age.

 “We also want to cater for women’s football as well and have the scholarship program available for them too.

“The FFA have said that they aren’t going to continue with the COE and (instead) allow the A-League clubs to run their own academy set ups which I think is a great idea.

“But I’m also a strong believer that the centre in Canberra should not close. Development is one thing that we haven’t been doing a great job with and I believe in keeping the centre open will allow more players to develop and have further opportunities.”