Fifth edition of Goal Academy: international football returns to Bari with a sports training and communication experience.
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Football is a language, a moment of growth, an opportunity for interaction, and an experience capable of creating connections.
Once again, Creative Goal (the sports communication division of Creative Intelligence) is partnering with Goal Academy as its official media partner. The collaboration aims to showcase and highlight an international initiative that brings a global model of football training—tailored to local talent—to Bari.
From July 14 to 17, 2026, Goal Academy returns to Puglia for its fifth edition, offering young male and female players training sessions that expose them to methodologies, approaches, and expertise from the international football landscape.
The project is once again led by Mirko Moramarco, Technical Director and Head of Goal Academy, who brings to the initiative the extensive experience he has gained in the field of football training.
Joining him for this edition are two coaches associated with Ajax: Luca de Graav (Ajax U8 coach) and Digiano Ladru (Ajax U13 coach). They will guide participants through targeted training sessions and in-depth activities focused on developing individual skills.
Football training: the value of an international experience
Goal Academy is a project that places the value of experience and interaction at its core.
Young participants have the opportunity to train with coaches from an international background, interacting with them in English and experiencing football as a universal language of communication.
Each day thus becomes a learning opportunity that combines technical skills, interpersonal relationships, and personal growth. After all, developing a young athlete also means helping them cultivate independence, listening skills, openness to new cultures, and confidence in their own potential.
This is precisely the value Creative Intelligence aims to highlight through its sports communication work—giving a voice to projects that build stories, foster connections, and celebrate the human side of sport.
We are chronicling the fifth edition of Goal Academy in Puglia, day by day.
As a media partner, Creative Intelligence will cover the entire journey of the fifth Goal Academy edition, showcasing on-field activities, the stories of the participants, and the emotions that define this experience.
Through thoughtful, storytelling-driven sports communication, the goal is to highlight a project that brings an international perspective on football training to Puglia—demonstrating how sport can serve as a powerful tool for growth, connection, and inspiration. DAY 1 UPDATE
The first day of the camp, July 14, 2026, focused on one-on-one play under the guidance of Coach Digiano Ladru.
It was an intense session designed to help the players build awareness in individual game situations, working on straight and diagonal dribbling as well as the ability to "read" the right moment to choose the best course of action.
The training focused on ball control, recognizing space, and deciding whether to attack the opponent directly or make the most of the available space.
Great emphasis was also placed on changes of pace and direction—key elements for beating a defender and turning a game situation into an opportunity.
DAY 2 UPDATE
The second day of the camp, focused on passing and playing out under pressure, saw the young participants work on one of the most important aspects of modern football: the ability to think before even receiving the ball.
Under the guidance of coach Luca de Graav, the session concentrated on the quality of ground passes, utilizing various surfaces of the foot.
This targeted work aimed to improve precision, touch, and control—fundamental elements for building an effective game and developing greater confidence in decision-making during matches.
Alongside the technical work, coach Digiano Ladru guided the players through exercises focused on the "directional touch" and ball management under pressure—one of the most frequent and decisive scenarios in the game.
A central role was also given to the ability to observe the pitch before receiving the ball, developing what is known in international football as "scanning": reading the space, anticipating opponents' intentions, and preparing for the next move.
DAY 3 UPDATE The third day of the camp focused on finishing skills, shifting the attention of the young players towards the most concrete and decisive phase of the game.
Under the attentive guidance of coach Digiano Ladru, the participants worked intensely on 2v1 and 3v2 situations, focusing particularly on managing numerical superiority in the final third of the pitch. The session aimed to develop clinical efficiency in front of goal and a deep understanding of the ideal timing for passing and making runs.
The players tested their ability to quickly create the right passing lanes and recognize the perfect moment to take a shot. It was a stimulating training session where technical precision blended with individual creativity and teamwork—key elements to break down opposing defensive blocks and make the most of every goal-scoring opportunity.
DAY 4 UPDATE
The final and exciting day of the Goal Academy featured the concluding tournaments and the awards ceremonies, crowning a week of pure football and shared growth.
The entire session, supervised by coach Luca de Graav, served as the ultimate testing ground where the players could put into practice all the tactical and individual skills learned and consolidated over the previous days. The tournament matches showcased great intensity, team spirit, and healthy competition on the pitch.
To close out the camp, the diploma and special awards ceremony celebrated the commitment, dedication, and progress of every single participant. A moment of great shared emotion that sealed the success of this fifth edition, confirming how sports, when experienced through an international and educational approach, remain one of the most powerful tools to unite people and inspire the talents of the future.
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