ATLETICO TAKES AIM AT ‘MADALAS’ IN YOUTH FOOTBALL

By Enock Phiri

Atletico Lusaka founder Mauro Sanna says the club will not abandon its youth-development philosophy, insisting that Zambia’s football future depends on giving genuine young players the platform to develop.

Since its establishment in 2020, Atletico has built its identity around identifying, developing and promoting young talent — a philosophy Sanna says remains central to the club despite the challenges involved.

“We are not going to change this. Our target is youth development,” Sanna said during the signing ceremony of Atletico Lusaka’s K800,000 sponsorship deal with Melbet.

Sanna acknowledges that Atletico’s approach differs from that of many clubs in Zambia but believes developing young players is critical to building a stronger domestic league and national team.

“I know we look at football differently from other clubs in Zambia. For us, we believe that in order to have a stronger national team and a strong league, we need young players, real young players, not ‘madalas’ dressed as young players,” he said.

While admitting that the comment is sensitive, Sanna maintains that giving young players competitive opportunities is essential for development.

“I know it is a very sensitive subject, but for us it is very important because there cannot be development without using young players. We understand the challenges that come with that.”

NATIONAL LEAGUE PROVIDES IDEAL PLATFORM

Sanna believes the National League offers Atletico the right environment to continue developing its young players.

“At the moment, the National League is the best scenario for us. It is the best moment and the best platform because we can use very young players,” he explained.

The club’s development model is already creating opportunities for its players, with Sanna revealing that several youngsters are expected to move on to new clubs.

“Every year we give away players, so very soon you will know where some of our main players will go. There are already some agreements done,” he revealed.

Sanna also disclosed the level of international interest surrounding one unnamed Atletico youngster, with clubs from Europe and South America monitoring his progress.

“We had one in particular — I won’t mention the name yet. Three Spanish teams, two Italian teams, two Swiss teams and three Brazilian teams [were interested]. He won the heart of the Milan team, but unfortunately he wasn’t good enough for the Under-17. That is another story,” Sanna said.

MELBET DEAL TO EXPAND SCOUTING

The new K800,000 partnership with Melbet is expected to strengthen Atletico’s ability to scout for young talent beyond Lusaka.

For Sanna, the deal represents more than financial backing — it provides an opportunity to widen the club’s search for the next generation of Zambian footballers.

“This deal is very important to the club because it will give us the possibility to go and scout even more players around the country,” he said.

Sanna believes Zambia has an abundance of talent, but says talent must first be identified and then properly developed.

“I know they say there is talent in Zambia, but talent needs to be found and needs to be trained. For us, this is the main target with this partnership.”

With Melbet on board, Atletico expects to reach areas it previously could not access and identify more youngsters capable of progressing into professional football.

‘WE PROMISE TO DO MORE’

Sanna says Atletico’s youth-focused approach has helped the club gain recognition beyond Zambia and believes the partnership can take the project to another level.

“We are going to give more platform to young players because now we will reach many places which we couldn’t reach before,” he said.

“For us, our philosophy has made us popular even outside Zambia. We promise to do more with Melbet on board.”

For Atletico, the objective remains straightforward — identify young talent, develop it and create a pathway to professional football.

And with the K800,000 sponsorship package now supporting that vision, Sanna believes the club is well placed to take its youth-development project into a new phase.