Manchester City and PUMA deepen US youth strategy with Charlotte Soccer Academy tie-up

Manchester City has struck a new youth football collaboration with Charlotte Soccer Academy (CSA) in the United States, linking the Premier League club’s coaching programme with a key grassroots partner of kit supplier PUMA.Two full-time Manchester City coaches will relocate to Charlotte to work alongside CSA’s leadership, coaches and players, delivering City’s development methodology on a daily basis rather than via short-term camps or visiting clinics.CSA has been part of PUMA’s ‘PUMA King Club’ network since 2019 and City described the project as building on its long-term global partnership with the German sportswear group, with the three parties positioning the initiative as a tighter pathway between grassroots participation and elite professional standards.Jorgina Busquets, managing director for football education, recreation and partner clubs at City Football Group, said: “By embedding Manchester City coaches full-time within a leading grassroots club, we are creating an authentic environment where our coaching methodology can be delivered every day, not just in short bursts.”City's primary technical focus will be on integrating its ‘Play Model’ and development approach within CSA’s Foundation Phase programme for U10–U12 players at pre-ECNL level, supporting age-appropriate training aligned to City’s principles of play.Beyond that age-group work, City’s staff will also support coach development, curriculum alignment and best-practice sharing across CSA, aimed at extending the impact across the broader club structure.CSA executive director Brad Wylde said: “Manchester City’s staff will be working, not only with our Pre-ECNL teams and players, but also across all of CSA’s U9-U12 competitive programming.”As part of the programme, CSA players will also have the opportunity to travel to Manchester annually for competitive matches, with City saying families, players and coaches should start to see the partnership’s effects from the upcoming season.