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Behind the scenes at AS Monaco Performance Centre inauguration

AS Monaco Sartori Rybolovleva
AS Monaco

In operation since the summer of 2021, the AS Monaco Performance Centre in La Turbie was officially inaugurated on Monday 5th September 2022 in the presence of Prince Albert II, Jean-Jacques Raphaël, Mayor of La Turbie, Ekaterina Sartori Rybolovleva, member of the Board of Directors and Juan Sartori, the club’s Vice-President.

The club’s players have been using it since last summer, but the AS Monaco Performance Centre was unveiled to the press and nearly two hundred guests on Monday morning, the day after a prestigious win against OGC Nice.

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Designed by Frédéric Genin, the Performance Centre’s architect, the brand new building required nearly four years of construction work at a total cost of 55 million euros, funded by the club’s President, Dmitry Rybolovlev.

With three training pitches that meet European (UEFA) and French (French Football Federation) standards, a large workout gym with many state-of-the-art machines and a balneotherapy room with all kinds of pools, the AS Monaco Performance Centre is one of the most advanced in Europe.

A project dear to Dmitry Rybolovlev’s heart

“A new page in the history of AS Monaco opens today with this Performance Centre, equipped with ultra-modern facilities and numerous spaces dedicated to excellence,” declared Prince Albert II. “This represents a strong statement of intent for the Club, for the players and for all of those who love AS Monaco. Congratulations to Mr. Dmitry Rybolovlev and all the players of the Club on the success of this project, which will allow our Club to continue to progress and reach for the stars.”

According to AS Monaco President Dmitry Rybolovlev: “It was a major project, as difficult as it was ambitious, which allows AS Monaco to offer today for its first team and, tomorrow for the next generations of players, the opportunity to train in optimal conditions. This new complex meets the highest requirements in sporting, technical, medical and other fields. The necessary training conditions have been created at the Performance Centre to help our club achieve its goals.”

© AS Monaco

In addition to the presence of Philippe Clement and a number of players from the squad, including Wissam Ben Yedder, Alexander Nübel, Axel Disasi, Youssouf Fofana, and Guillermo Maripan, several former emblematic faces at the club were present. From Didier Deschamps to Youri Djorkaeff, Claude Puel, Jean-Luc Ettori and Jean Petit.

“The infrastructure has changed a lot”,  smiled Didier Deschamps, the French national team manager and former AS Monaco coach between 2001 and 2005. “It’s a good thing for the young players, who are playing in a very high quality environment, in beautiful facilities. It’s nice to see how much has been achieved at the club.”

Already appreciated by the players

“It is a superb tool for work and development, in line with the club’s ambitions. It’s a massive pleasure for us to come and train here,” confirmed Axel Disasi, who is already a fan of the Dream Boxes, small individual rooms where players can rest after training sessions. “I can assure you that we have very sweet dreams in there! »

“I have watched the training centre take shape since I arrived,” said Youssouf Fofana. “I was shown pictures of it when I signed up. When you see the quality of the grounds and the setting, you can’t help but feel fulfilled in your work.”

After his podium finish at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday and with a week to go before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Charles Leclerc also dropped by for the occasion. The Scuderia Ferrari driver even played an impromptu game of table football with Guillermo Maripan, Alexander Nübel and his brother, Lorenzo Tolotta-Leclerc. 

5 September 2022 marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of AS Monaco.