#Juventus #socceracademy #NBA
Complete Sports is thrilled about this podcast as we welcomed an old friend Olivier Pheulpin to join us and discuss soccer and basketball. Olivier is the technical director for the Juventus soccer academy and soccer complex in San Antonio, Texas. Olivier is originally from France and he came to North America to cover the NBA as a reporter. He spent a few years in Vancouver covering the NBA expansion Grizzlies and then moved to San Antonio to cover the Spurs organization and league as a whole. He was fortunate to get to be an insider with one of the greatest organizations in sports in the San Antonio Spurs. They won yearly at an impressive pace and took home five NBA championships 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 in 15 years.
With Olivier being from France one of his biggest sporting loves is Football(soccer in North America) and he decided to return as a coach for the Alamo Revolution in San Antonio . He had success and it seemed to fuel his desire for more involvement at a higher level. With a playing career and work experience with Paris Saint Germain on a resume and a knowledge and love for the sport of soccer he became interested in pursuing more opportunities. He became the director of Coaching FC Dallas in the Alamo area. He has the motto of just go for it and he was quoted once “If your dreams don’t keep you up at night they are not big enough”. He went on a European quest to find a top football club to bring a soccer academy to the US and specifically into the San Antonio area. He eventually found the right fit with Juventus one of the worlds premier football clubs. Juventus has Christiano Ronaldo one of the best players of his time and that has enabled them continue a dominance in Serie A. Juventus are poised to win their 9th straight League title and take a run at a Champions league crown. Ronaldo is one of the most marketable and famous athletes in the world. He is the most followed user on Instagram and Facebook and is typically one of the world’s highest paid athletes. So not only has Olivier convinced Juve to start a soccer academy in this area they are also building a incredible soccer facility called Soccer Central. He should be incredibly proud of this accomplishment and for the good it will provide youth in the greater San Antonio area.
We shifted gears here and there and discussed NBA basketball at length and waxed poetic on memories we had covering the association. We spoke about the Last Dance Chicago Bulls documentary and how it was nice remembering how we were there for many of those moments. It was a really fun conversation and I didn’t want it to end. We will have him back for more once things start back up soon.
Thanks to Olivier and our viewers and listeners. One of my favorite people that first was a colleague and became a friend. Enjoy!
Take Care,
Love Yah,
Bye for now!
