Uberlândia Formalizes Youth Football Development Partnership with UEC–SAF
Uberlândia's Prefeitura and UEC–SAF launch a four-year cooperation to develop youth football from sub-5 to sub-20 categories, enhancing training, facilities, and competitive success.
- • Prefeitura de Uberlândia and UEC–SAF sign a four-year cooperation agreement for youth football development.
- • The partnership covers both men's and women's teams across sub-5 to sub-20 age groups.
- • Futel provides equipment and staff for younger categories; UEC–SAF manages training and competition for older youths.
- • Successful results include recent championship wins by sub-12 and sub-14 teams.
Key details
The Prefeitura de Uberlândia has cemented a strategic four-year partnership with Uberlândia Esporte Clube – Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (UEC–SAF) with the goal of advancing youth football across the city. This cooperation, formalized on October 14 by Mayor Paulo Sérgio and UEC–SAF President Fábio Mineiro, focuses on nurturing talent in both men's and women's football from sub-5 up to sub-20 categories without involving financial transfers.
Under the agreement, the Fundação Uberlandense do Turismo, Esporte e Lazer (Futel) will supply sports equipment and physical education professionals to support the youngest players, while UEC–SAF will manage training for the older youth groups at Vila Olímpica. Teams will compete under the banner UEC–SAF/Futel. Trials to compose these teams will be announced shortly.
Mayor Paulo Sérgio highlighted the initiative’s aim to produce competitive teams at all levels and to further promote sports development in Uberlândia. Fábio Mineiro emphasized that the program revives youth categories and will also offer educational and psychological support to players.
Already, the collaboration has seen success: teams from sub-10 to sub-14 have recorded victories, with the sub-14 team capturing the Copa Uberaba Play Cup and the sub-12 team winning the 2024 Copa Uberaba de Futebol. Edson Zanatta, director-general of Futel, noted the project intends to extend its reach, continuing to provide free football education from ages 5 to 18 across the city.
This partnership marks a significant investment in Uberlândia’s future football talents, combining resources and expertise for holistic youth athlete development.