THE Arca South Pitch is the home of the Barça Academy Manila, the official school of FC Barcelona, considered one of the world’s top football clubs. At the Academy, Filipino youth aged 6 to 18 can learn how to play football the Barça way.
Completed by E-Sports International, a leading builder of sports architecture in the Philippines, the football field in Arca South has been certified by FIFA, signifying compliance with the highest international standards in artificial pitches.
When it first began construction of the artificial turf for Ayala Land in Arca South Estate, E-Sports envisioned the field as a prime example of modern engineering and design, providing Filipino footballers with a top-notch facility on which to train or play competitive matches.
Barca Academy Puts Roots in Arca South
According to Joel Llinàs, Corporate Director, Barça Academy Manila, the most important thing is where to find a perfect venue to establish Barça Academy Manila in the Philippines.
“For us at Barça, we are always looking for that excellence, not only in our way to help kids understand football but also in having a good venue. It's a basic requirement for us to have really good facilities like what we have here in Arca South. We are really happy being here," said Llinas
Llinàs explained that having FIFA-certified facilities is crucial to inspiring kids to love the beautiful game. The quality of the venue affects the overall experience of the players - when there are good resources to play, the players will find the game enjoyable.
“One of the reasons we are here is because of the quality of the venue,” Llinàs said. “I remember coming here to see the field, it was really impressive. The moment I saw it, we were at home. I was really happy about that. It looks like a European field, and it's quite difficult to find this kind of field outside of Europe.”
A football pitch is a hallowed ground
Llinàs explained that a good field is determined by the quality of the materials, the dimensions of the space, and the safety it offers the players. The turf has to be in good condition to play, and he noted how the Arca South pitch continues to be game-ready even after consecutive days of rain.
“A lot of meticulous planning and intensive construction efforts went into creating this premier sports venue,” said Audris Romualdez, Managing Director of E-Sports International. “Because of our deep sense of commitment to excellence and adherence to international standards, it was imperative for us to build a FIFA-certified venue where our young athletes can reach their highest potential. This field could very well be the place where the Philippines’ next football stars are born.”
E-Sports installed a football turf system from Limonta Sports, comprised of DUO SHAPE, the artificial turf brand chosen by some of the world’s top football clubs. To ensure the field is prepared for torrential rains, E-Sports also installed SHOCKDRAIN, an innovative shock attenuation and drainage underlay. Together, these products foster a safer playing environment and provide the utmost field durability and performance.
Limonta is one of only nine FIFA-preferred manufacturers in the world and is exclusively distributed by E-Sports International.
Setting sights on long-term goals
Llinàs says that Barça aims to provide the experience of training under the Barca methodology - not only as a way to play but also to embrace values like effort, ambition, and teamwork.
“We’re focused on giving a really good experience, not only for the players but also for the parents and families and the environment around Barca Academy as well,” Llinàs said. “We want to make them feel that they are part of something new, something big. And we want to build a culture of excellence for the players, the families, the coaches, and for football as a whole in Manila.”
To achieve this, Barca Academy also partnered with Sugod, a third-party facilities management company to ensure the facility stays in top condition. Sugod is responsible for maintaining the facilities and managing the schedule of availability of the field, ensuring the pitch meets Barça Academy’s training needs while providing a space for football events, such as tournaments and festivals, when the venue is not in use for Barça training.
Sugod also revealed that a building with stands, lockers, showers, and other amenities beside the facility is being planned for construction in the near future.
With increasing opportunities for international training and the proliferation of world-class football fields like the Arca South pitch, football in the Philippines is now well-positioned to reach its full potential.
