Top Brazilian football instructors/professors Thadeu Goncalves and Chiquinho Assis arrive in Bermuda tomorrow for the unveiling of an ambitious four-year programme designed to identify potential local talent and nurture it right along to the collegiate or professional ranks. Goncalves is the current president of Instituto Brasileiro de Futebol (BFUT) — one of the most reputable football schools around the world — while Assis is head coach of US A-League’s Miami FC who recently acquired the services of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup star striker Romario on loan.

The Brazilians are liaising with local BFUT affiliates Eugene Joell and Curtis DeGraff and are here to oversee the initial stages of the multiple-year programme in which football camps have been specifically aimed at the recruitment of a group of 20 local youth footballers under the age of 14 possessing exceptional potential.

The camp, open to boys aged five to 16 years, commences tomorrow at Devonshire Recreation Club (5 p.m.) and will then relocate at the Bermuda College where sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday morning, beginning at 8 a.m.

Assis, who owns professional organisations on four different continents, will be scouting and assessing advanced players with potential between the ages of 17 and 25 to join the BFUT’s exclusive high performance programme run by Goncalves in the US during his visit.

All players under the age of 14 chosen will progress to the four-year, multiple-phase programme.

The programme’s first two phases will see participants attend next month’s Brazilian Soccer Residential Camp in Florida, compete for the next two years in the Rio de Janeiro Cup in Brazil and attend various mini football camps right up to the 2008 Dallas Cup in the US.

During the the third and final phase, those behind the ambitious scheme will continue to work closely with the group to ensure they are adequately equipped by the age of 18 to enrol in top US colleges or play the sport professionally.

“The mission of this project is to analyse and combine the three areas of the game of football (youth development, competitive and high performance) and provide Bermudians with potential with a full cycle of development for players from six years old to professional level,” explained Goncalves, who last visited Bermuda in 1994.

In the past Goncalves has tutored the likes of Damon Ming, DeVaughn DeGraff, Shayne Hollis, Scott Morton and Andrew Bascome, who has agreed to assist during the upcoming football camps.

“What we do as a consultant is observe, analyse and then set up a three-year plan where we guide and share methodology, education and philosophy with other coaches, players and managers,” Goncalves continued.

“And I’m very excited about the potential this programme will bring to the Bermuda.”

Local BFUT representative Joell said the international organisation has long held a desire to implement such a programme domestically that will assist young, aspiring Bermudian footballers in their endeavours.

“Goncalves wants to help prepare Bermuda’s youth for when they compete on the international stage,” he added. “So he’s coming here to do a combined camp and look for young players possessing potential to enrol in the four-year programme.

The ultimate goal of the programme, Joell stressed, is to equip our youth players with the necessary tools required by top organisations.

“We want to promote them to a higher level because at the moment we are no longer producing players capable of making the grade at top Division One schools in the US.

“We had a very talented Under 20 national youth team that recently played in Haiti. However, developmentally we don’t have the vehicle in place to take our players to the next level.

“So this is why we are in association with BFUT to provide professional instruction to allow our players an opportunity to play at top Division One schools and also be given a chance to play professional football.”