Plainview, NY (February 18, 2010) - The Long Island Rough Riders and Banchiero Sports Enterprises have officially signed an agreement to work in partnership with the National Association of Football Coaches of Argentina (ATFA).

ATFA is the official entity responsible under AFA (Argentine Football Association) for providing coaching education to coaches from youth to professional levels. All coaches under ATFA are certified by AFA and FIFA. ATFA strives to disseminate the Argentine methodology of football throughout the world and educate those who will be the future teachers of football techniques and methodology.

ATFA has produced world-cup winning coaches such as Menotti, Bilardo, and Pekerman who have educated and produced some of the world’s greatest players from the Argentine youth system. Some of these players include Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Carlos Tevez (Man City), Juan Riquelme (Boca Juniors), Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), Sergio Aguero (Atletico de Madrid), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool) and Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan).

Victorio Cocco, President of ATFA, and Jose Mercier, Director of Education, stated, “It gives us great pleasure to have reached this agreement with the Long Island Rough Riders which will give us the opportunity to produce a series of events in the US focusing on training coaches and young players utilizing the Argentine methodology which is well-renowned in the world of football.”

The partnership will entail offering youth camps in the US taught by ATFA certified coaches. In addition, introductory coaching courses will be offered for coaches looking to enhance their current education with the Argentine methodology.

“We are very excited to have been able to establish this ground-breaking partnership with ATFA through BSE,” said Flavio Ferri Rough Riders Vice President and General Manager. “We see this as a great opportunity to educate coaches and young players with one of the best and proven soccer methodologies in the world today.”

The first coaching course will be the ATFA International Special Topics Diploma to be held in April 2010 and youth camps will be held in July and August of 2010.

For more information, please contact Flavio Ferri at fferri@liroughriders.com , 516-622-3900 or Fabian Banchiero at fabian@banchierosports.com.

Or The Rough Riders web site for more info at: www.liroughriders.com.