It was one of the best kept secrets in Belgium. Where did Prince Emmanuel choose to pursue his higher education? “We knew that the prince, aged 19, had left the family home, that is to say the castle of Laeken, at the start of the school year, to follow training abroad, but we did not know where”, says royal specialist Alix Bâtard in RTL info 1 p.m. The palace had thus conceded that the son of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium was now devoting himself to languages and sport.
The Belgian news site Sudinfo claimed, for his part, that he was taking “a sabbatical year where he is learning Spanish”. If he was right about the language, the young man is using his time for a very specific reason, revealed this November 8, the Dutch-speaking Belgian daily The Latest News. For two months already, and for another eight, this sports enthusiast – a fervent supporter of the Red Devils – has been training to become…a professional footballer! If no name of establishment was mentioned, it would be the Mifra Academy in Zaragoza. “The best football school in Europe,” says its website. She would train young talents who are aiming for the first division of the Spanish championship. In other words, La Liga.
Entry, it is said, would also be rather selective. In the video accompanying the article, Prince Emmanuel appears in a tracksuit, his eyes glued to his opponents, ensuring that no football enters his goal. With more or less success. “It’s not certain that Prince Emmanuel then wants to become a professional player,” analyzes Alix Bâtard. “At 19, in any case, it seems a little late, but what is certain is that he is sports fan, football fan in particular, and this perhaps portends at least a career in the sporting world.” In any case, there is no question of the brother of Crown Princess Elisabeth remaining on the sidelines.
Belgium
