The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister of Sports and Youth, Kawa Mahmoud, has announced that Spanish soccer club Real Madrid is to open four soccer schools in the region.

According to a report from AKnews, the opening of the schools has been seen by officials in Kurdistan Region as a significant project that will greatly raise standards of football in Kurdistan.

The schools will be opened in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Duhok and Kalar, each with capacity for 100 students.

Part of the contract signed between the KRG and Real Madrid involves the training of Kurdish referees, both in Kurdistan and in Spain.

The club currently has 62 soccer schools around the world and there are reequests from 136 countries worldwide to build more.

Daban Shadala, KRG representative to Spain said the KRG had also attempted to communicate with Barcelona, as well, to have them open soccer schools and academies in Kurdistan. “But we have not heard from them officially, yet.”

(Sources: AKnews, KRG)