Emiliano Grimberg: Increasing Opportunities with an International Player Pro Development Exchange Program.

In a country like Argentina, with more than 100 years of soccer history, there are more players than opportunities.  It was in response to this shortage of opportunity that Emiliano Grimberg founded Cross Border, an organization whose mission is to connect players in their academy to the opportunities that will support them in realizing their dreams of becoming professional players.

“Cross Border started with the idea to allow players to study while playing at a higher level, and the United States was a good place to build connections,” Grimberg relates.  “In Argentina, the economic situation doesn’t allow for things like scholarships or student loans for soccer players.  The US offered a totally different opportunity.”

But not all players are looking to study in an American university.  Other higher-level playing opportunities also exist in the United States, which is not as saturated with life-long players as Argentina is.  “In Argentina, we play futbol,” Grimberg laughs.  “That’s it!  In the US, there is basketball, American football, baseball.”  Sending Argentine talent to the US opens a myriad of possibilities for players that would not have existed in their home country.

Emiliano Grimberg started as a coach in his early 20s and received his coaching license from the Nacional Asociacion de Tecnicos del Futbol Argentino (NATFA).  He’s worked with players from 10 years old up to adults, which he notes is helpful in seeing the full development of a player.  Under his leadership, Cross Border is partnering with Mario Erazo and American Sports Management to facilitate an International Player Pro Development Exchange Program.

“It’s very good working with Mario,” he says. “He is my direct contact and we’ve coordinated tryouts on December 11th in Orlando and Tampa.”  This tryout is in preparation for a tournament that will be hosted in Argentina in July of this summer.  

Grimberg is eager to be on the field in Florida to acquire a better understanding of how the US player thinks and works so he can bring that knowledge back and be prepared to more effectively coach US players who come to train in Argentina.  “What I look forward to the most is the opportunity to give feedback to players and see how quickly they catch on.”

For Grimberg, this teachability is key to developing effective players.  “All players who want to learn will learn.  If they think they already know everything, they can’t learn. You don’t have to be the best player on the field - just a smart player.  If you come wanting to be better and wanting to learn, you will improve. That’s the only way.”

The legacy of Argentinian futbol is one that Grimberg wants to share with US players.  Players from Argentina play in the best clubs all around the world; it can be said that soccer is part of the country’s identity.  Soccer is still a new tradition in the US, but what the US has that Argentina does not, according to Grimberg, is infrastructure: fields, equipment, stadiums.  Combining Argentinian tactics with US infrastructure is a way to really invest in players who otherwise would not have the opportunity to play professionally.  

“I want to tell the US players who are planning to come to Argentina in July that they are going to have an amazing experience.  They will see things differently when they are in a country that has been playing soccer for over 100 years.  It's hard for me to be humble,” he laughs, “because we have something special here in Argentina - Maradona, Stefano, Messi - so much talent! We want to show you what we do and how we do it. Come and see what is different here.”

The tournament in Buenos Aires will be from July 24, 2022 to July 31, 2022 and will include training with coaches from Cross Border.  More information can be found CLICK HERE OR VISIT THIS LINK: https://www.soccerscoutingpros.com/international