Sporting Duet Academy

What Sporting Duet Academy does

Sporting Duet Academy is a grassroots football coaching academy founded in 2004 in London by Cyrille Allain and Alain Schibl, targeting children and young people aged 4 to 18 with a particular focus on the French community in London. The company delivers an integrated portfolio of football development products: an annual After School Programme at French international schools (Ecole Jacques Prevert, Ecole Marie D'Orliac, Ecole Bilingue), Saturday morning Youth Development sessions at parks including Wandsworth, competitive League Teams from U9 through Men's and Women's First XI, seasonal Football Camps during half terms, a Goalkeeper's Academy, an FA Wildcats centre for girls aged 5-11, football-themed Birthday Parties, and tournaments both domestically and internationally. Robert Pires serves as Club Ambassador (since 2014) and the academy has held a strategic partnership with Ligue 1 club Racing Club De Lens since 2017, providing a player pathway and access to La Gaillette facilities and Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

The business operates on a hybrid revenue model combining recurring subscription fees (after-school programmes, weekly youth sessions, league team registrations, goalkeeper training) with one-time payments (half-term camps, birthday party hosting, tournament entry). Customer acquisition is community-led, driven by French-school partnerships, word-of-mouth referrals, trial bookings, and community events. The academy reports over 1,000 registered players across its programmes and operates across multiple London locations including Hammersmith, Wandsworth, Hyde Park, Little Venice, East Acton and South Park, with a Nike Partner Club affiliation and several commercial sponsors (Melqart, Axiom AI, Sindicatum, AMOS Business School).

The company is privately held, founder-owned, and operates without disclosed external institutional funding. It has no software platform, no proprietary technology product, and no public API; the offering is a people-intensive in-person coaching service. The co-founded Education & Football (E&F) Foundation extends the brand into education-welfare programming. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, and no public revenue figures are disclosed. Operating geographies are concentrated in London with international tournament and camp activity connected through the RC Lens partnership.

Name

Sporting Duet Academy

Legal name

Sporting Duet Academy

Website

https://sportingduetacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sporting Duet Academy is a London-based grassroots football coaching academy founded in 2004, serving over 1,000 registered players aged 4-18 with after-school programmes at French schools, youth development sessions, league teams, camps, and a partnership with Ligue 1 club RC Lens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Football Training Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Sport Skill Academies (Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, etc.) (MPAKAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Youth football training
• Football coaching services
• Grassroots sports academy
• After school football
• Youth sports development

Headquarters

HQ city

Kensington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. After School Program Fees: Annual football programme delivered to French schools in London, with sessions at various school locations charging recurring fees per participant.
2. Youth Development Sessions: Saturday morning development sessions at Wandsworth Park for boys and girls aged 4-11, generating recurring revenue from session fees.
3. League Team Registration: Competitive league football for U9 to Adults, including teams like U9-U16 Lions and Tigers, Men's and Women's First XI teams.
4. Football Camps: Football camps delivered during all half terms for boys and girls aged 6-14, generating seasonal revenue.
5. Birthday Parties: Football themed birthday party hosting service for boys and girls of all ages and abilities.
6. Goalkeeper's Academy: Specialized goalkeeper training programme as part of the academy's offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sporting Duet Academy is a grassroots football academy that delivers in-person youth football coaching programmes for boys and girls aged 4 to 18 and adult players. Its core offerings include an annual after-school football programme at French schools in London, Saturday youth development sessions, competitive league teams from U9 through to Men's and Women's First XI, half-term football camps, football-themed birthday parties, and tournaments delivered in London and abroad. The Academy supplements these with a Goalkeeper's Academy and an FA Wildcats centre for girls, supported by a strategic partnership with Ligue 1 French club RC Lens.

Product overview

Sporting Duet Academy is a grassroots football club offering a unified portfolio of football development programs. The core offerings consist of the After School Program (delivered at French schools in London for ages 5-11), Youth Development (technical training for U5-U13), and League Teams (competitive football from U9 to Adults). These are complemented by seasonal Football Camps, Birthday Parties, Tournaments, the Goalkeeper's Academy, and the FA Wildcats Centre for girls. The programs share a unified methodology emphasizing player development, confidence, passion, and respect, with a focus on technical foundations including ball mastery and age-appropriate coaching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Player development from U5 to professional level through structured long-term methodology
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RC Lens (Racing Club De Lens)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Sporting Duet Academy has partnered with Ligue 1 French professional club RC Lens. The partnership provides players with a route to professional football, opportunities to participate in 'Sang et Or' football camps at La Gaillette facilities, and experiences at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The partnership also extends to RC Lens London programme for West London-based development.
• RC Lens LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRC Lens London creates a professional environment for coaches and players to develop and progress their football, with all training sessions and matches taking place at Club Des Sports in East Acton.
• The FA WildcatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSporting Duet FC became one of The FA's Wildcats centres in Wandsworth, providing girls aged 5-11 the opportunity to play football in a fun and friendly environment.
• Nike (Partner Club)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSporting Duet Academy is a Nike Partner Club, displaying Nike Partner Club branding on their website and materials.
• Education & Football Foundation (E&F Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe E&F Foundation was developed alongside Sporting Duet FC to support young players in continuing their education whilst developing football skills. The charity provides safe supervised working environments for homework before training sessions.
• MelqartminorOthersListed as a sponsor on the website
• Axiom AIminorOthersListed as a sponsor on the website
• SindicatumminorOthersListed as a sponsor on the website
• AMOS Business SchoolminorOthersListed as a sponsor and partner on the website

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Little Kickers: UK children's football coaching franchise for ages 18 months to 8 years, delivering structured pre-school and early-years football classes. Comparable as a subscription-based children's football coaching business with similar GTM motion, school partnerships, and Saturday/weekend session delivery.
• We Make Footballers: UK-based youth football coaching franchise operating across multiple regions, providing after-school and weekend football sessions for children aged 4-12. Directly comparable as a multi-location grassroots football academy serving similar demographics and price points with subscription-based recurring programs.
• Pro Elite Soccer Academy: UK-based football academy delivering youth development sessions, league football and coaching programs. Directly comparable as a grassroots football academy targeting similar age groups with comparable recurring revenue and event-driven program mix.

Broad incumbents

• Manchester City Football Schools: Manchester City's branded football coaching program offering development clinics and school partnerships across the UK. Comparable as a professional-club-affiliated youth football coaching offering, though operating from a non-London base.
• Tottenham Hotspur Foundation: Community arm of Tottenham Hotspur delivering football and multi-sport programs across North London. Comparable as a London Premier League community football provider with school partnerships, though broader multi-sport focus and subsidized/free delivery model.
• The Football Association (The FA): UK governing body for football that sanctions Wildcats centres, coaching qualifications, and grassroots programs. Comparable as the umbrella organization under which Sporting Duet's FA Wildcats designation operates, and as the national framework provider of coaching certifications the academy's staff hold.
• Arsenal in the Community: Community outreach arm of Arsenal FC delivering coaching programs across London schools and boroughs. Comparable as a London football education provider targeting similar youth demographics, with brand association to the same ambassador (Robert Pires) that Sporting Duet leverages.
• Chelsea FC Foundation: Community and youth development arm of Chelsea FC, one of London's Premier League clubs. Comparable as a London-based provider of youth football coaching programs and school partnerships, but operates at significantly larger scale with Premier League brand backing and broader free/subsidized community programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SportingDuetWFC
• Facebookfacebook.com/icicestduet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sporting-duet-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sporting Duet Academy