Dynamo Moscow wants to build a youth academy to rival the best in Europe, club president Yury Isaev said on Friday.
In the Soviet era, Dynamo’s youth system produced stars such as goalkeeper Lev Yashin, but has struggled to compete with better-funded rivals in recent years.
“We want to make the Dynamo football academy not just the best in the country, but one of the best in Europe,” Isaev said on Dynamo's official website.
“Now we are starting a big project linked with a school in the Vodny Stadion region [of Moscow], on historic Dynamo ground. In the next two years, a new training ground will be built, modern pitches, all the necessary conditions will be created.
“But the construction on its own won’t develop the youth. We need the best coaches, the best methods, the best conditions. We have the coaches and the methods, we’ll have the conditions, the desire to become the best is this area is huge.”
Despite signing Hungarian international Balazs Dzsudzsak and Ecuador’s Cristian Noboa in January, the club will not replace young Russian players with foreign signings, Isaev said.
“Naturally, as a Russian club we target having as many Russians as possible playing in our squad. Moreover, the [2018] World Cup in our country is not far off.
“We’re not turning away from a strategy of our club being the base for the Russian national team at this world tournament. Therefore we treat our young men very gently and with care, we always support them and help them.
“That also applies to our talented footballers who are currently on loan at other clubs.”
One of Dynamo’s most notable recent youth products is Russia under-21 international striker Fyodor Smolov, 21, who has scored two goals in 19 appearances in the Russian league for Dynamo this season, and spent part of 2010 on loan at Dutch side Feyenoord.
Dynamo are currently third in the Russian Premier League, seven points behind leaders Zenit St. Petersburg with 14 games remaining. A third-place finish grants qualification for the Champions League.
