Round Rock Multipurpose Complex to Host FC Barcelona

The Round Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) announced that international soccer club FC Barcelona will open a youth soccer school in Central Texas with weekday training starting this summer at the new Round Rock Multipurpose Complex.

“Soccer is the second most popular sport in the U.S. behind baseball, and FC Barcelona is opening its third training academy in the U.S. right here in the Sports Capital of Texas. We are honored for Round Rock to be selected as the location for this highly esteemed and globally respected soccer program,” City of Round Rock Director of Sports Management and Tourism Chad McKenzie said. “The Round Rock Multipurpose Complex provides the perfect venue for the world-class training our youth will now have access to with FC Barcelona."

The expansion to Round Rock is part of FC Barcelona’s growth strategy and implementation of the new FCB Escola around the world. FCB Escola is an elite program developed to teach youth soccer players—boys and girls ages 6 to 16 years old—the methodology, style of play and values that have made FC Barcelona one of the top soccer clubs in the world. FCB Escola implements and oversees the integral formation of the player’s education, health and sports. Current schools can be found in major international markets like Tokyo, Dubai, Sao Paolo and Moscow.

“This new program will not only help local players experience firsthand the best international, professional and developmental soccer pathway, but will also put Texas on a global soccer stage,” said Marc Segarra, co-founder of ISL Futbol, the largest partner of FC Barcelona in the U.S., and Barcelona native.

This new FCB Escola will offer supplemental training programs in two locations in Central Texas: the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex and the Circuit of the Americas (COTA.) The owner of COTA, Bobby Epstein, announced he supports the project and plans to build a soccer field for FC Barcelona to use. The FBC Escola training program allows players to add elite technical training to their current weekly soccer schedule.

Some players in the program could be selected for an “FCB Experience,” which is a trip to Barcelona to practice and play at the FC Barcelona Ciutat Esportiva. They will also participate in the International FCB Escola Soccer Tournament in which players from the club’s different schools around the world compete.

As part of this expansion, FC Barcelona has also approved ISL Futbol to offer an official FCB Escola soccer camp in Round Rock this summer. This camp will complement camps offered in other cities across the U.S. including: Indianapolis, Ind.; Washington, D.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Louis, Mo.; Richmond, Va.; Louisville, Ky.; Raleigh, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Sacramento, Calif., and more.

To guarantee the authenticity, legitimacy and professionalism of the FCB Escola in Texas, an FC Barcelona technical director, several former professional players from FC Barcelona, as well as UEFA Pro licensed (the highest global coaching license) coaches will work full time and establish residency in Central Texas. For more information about the FC Barcelona school, visit http://schools.fcbarcelona.us/. 

About the Round Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau: The Round Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is dedicated to bringing revenue to the great city of Round Rock. Using hotel occupancy taxes (funds paid by visitors who stay in our hotels), we promote Round Rock as The Sports Capital of Texas for youth, amateur and recreational sports to tournament and meeting planners across the nation. Our central location in Texas, our unique shopping opportunities and our abundance of tournament-ready fields, courts and courses are helping Round Rock quickly become the top choice for planners when selecting a location for their next big event. For the members of our community, hosting more events means hosting more visitors. And more visitors means more profits for our local businesses, plus lowered property taxes for our citizens, for which we can all be big fans. Here’s to Round Rock: a great place to live and a great place to play. Game on! For more information, visit www.sportscapitaloftexas.com.