KIA Football Academy
The KIA Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال کیا), commonly known as KIA FC, is an Iranian youth football academy that was established by Mehdi Mahdavikia in 2015 in southeastern Tehran.
| Full name | KIA Football Academy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 | ||
| Ground | Madaran Stadium Tehran, Iran | ||
| Coordinates | 35.6469382°N 51.452926°W | ||
| Chairman | Mehdi Mahdavikia | ||
| Coach | Hadi Mahdavikia | ||
| League | Iran Football's 3rd Division | ||
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German magazine 11 Freunde has described it as "the best football academy" in Iran, and unique in terms of being dedicated to "sustainable, conceptual youth work". The club follows the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim-model, i.e. starting at grassroots-level before developing into a team that can enter the professional leagues. Each year, the club scouts more than a thousand players from all across the country and after trials, only retains top 25 talents.
KIA has shown remarkable results since its foundation and frequently travels to Europe in order to play against renowned opponents.