Resort Football Camp FAQs
- About Campioni
- Daily schedule
- Who it’s for
- Resorts
- Prices, dates & booking
- Coaching & safety
- UK camps & weekly training
About Campioni and resort football camps
What is the best resort football camp for kids?
For families who want a real holiday as well as real coaching, Campioni Soccer Academy is a leading choice. Since 2016 it has run football camps led by Premier League legends at luxury family resorts. In 2027 Campioni camps run at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik in Croatia and Niva Kuramathi in the Maldives, with legends including Andy Cole and Stuart Pearce MBE.
What is a resort football camp?
A resort football camp is professional football coaching held inside a holiday resort, so children train without leaving the family holiday. At Campioni camps, children train for two hours a day on the resort’s own pitch. The rest of the day is free for the pool, the beach and family time.
Are there football camps abroad coached by famous footballers?
Yes. Campioni football holidays in Croatia and the Maldives are coached by former Premier League and England players, supported by UEFA-licensed coaches. Legends who have coached with Campioni include John Barnes MBE, Stuart Pearce MBE, Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole, Wes Brown, Dion Dublin, Matt Le Tissier, Franny Benali MBE, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Harry Redknapp. See all Campioni legends and coaches.
Which football legends are coaching in 2027?
Manchester United legend Andy Cole coaches Campioni’s Maldives Easter week, 29 March to 3 April 2027. England legend Stuart Pearce MBE coaches the Maldives summer week, 26 to 31 July 2027. UEFA ‘A’ Licensed coach Adrian Whitbread coaches both weeks. Legends for the 2027 Croatia weeks will be announced soon.
Do the legends actually coach, or just make an appearance?
They coach. Each Campioni holiday week is led on the pitch by a football legend, working alongside UEFA-licensed coaches every day. Families also meet the legend at the Sunday welcome drinks and spend time with them around the resort during the week.
What is a good luxury family holiday for football-mad kids?
A Campioni football holiday: children are coached by Premier League legends for two hours a day while the family enjoys a luxury resort. Choose Sun Gardens Dubrovnik for a short-haul five-star break in Croatia, or Niva Kuramathi for a Maldives island holiday. Parents get the spa, pools and beach; children get a football holiday they will talk about for years.
The daily schedule: two hours of football, the rest is holiday
Do children have to train all day?
No. Campioni training is just two hours a day, and the rest of the day is holiday time with the family. In Croatia, sessions run 09:30–11:30, Monday to Friday, so afternoons are free. In the Maldives, sessions run 15:30–17:30, Monday to Saturday, so mornings and middays are free for the beach and snorkelling.
How many hours a day is the football training?
Two hours a day. That is five sessions in a Croatia week and six in a Maldives week. Keeping it to two hours means children get top-quality coaching and still enjoy a full family holiday.
Is a Campioni football camp a holiday or a training camp?
Both. Children get two hours a day of coaching from football legends, based on how professional teams train. The rest of the time, the whole family is on holiday at a luxury resort.
What does a Campioni football holiday week look like?
Every Campioni week follows the same shape: welcome drinks on Sunday, two hours’ coaching a day, a parents’ match on Wednesday and a medal presentation to finish.
| Croatia – Sun Gardens Dubrovnik | Maldives – Niva Kuramathi | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 18:00 family welcome drinks and Q&A with the legend; each child receives kit, cap, water bottle and bag | Evening welcome drinks with the legends; each child receives kit, cap, water bottle and bag |
| Training | 09:30–11:30, Monday to Friday | 15:30–17:30, Monday to Saturday |
| Parents’ match | Wednesday 18:00–19:00 | Wednesday 17:30 |
| Presentation | Friday 11:30 – medal and certificate for every child | Saturday 17:30 – medal presentation |
| Free for holiday | Afternoons and evenings | Mornings and evenings |
Can parents watch the training?
Yes. Parents are welcome to watch and cheer from the sidelines. They can also play in the mid-week parents’ match and spend time with the legends through the week.
Who the camps are for
What age are Campioni football camps for?
Campioni resort football camps are for children aged 4 to 16. Children are grouped by age for coaching.
Does my child need to be good at football?
No. Campioni camps welcome all abilities, from beginners to academy players, in a fun and inclusive atmosphere. Sessions build technique, game understanding and confidence, so every child improves at their own level.
Can girls join Campioni football camps?
Yes. Campioni camps are open to girls and boys.
What if one of my children doesn’t want to play football?
They will still have a great holiday. Niva Kuramathi’s kids’ club takes ages 3 to 12, and Sun Gardens Dubrovnik has four pools, a sports centre, tennis lessons and a gaming room. Children who want a lighter week can also book fewer days of football.
Resorts and destinations
Which five-star resorts have a kids’ football camp?
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, a five-star resort on the Adriatic coast in Croatia, hosts Campioni football camps each year. Campioni also runs camps at Niva Kuramathi, an island resort in the Maldives great for families. Since 2016, Campioni has also run resort football camps in Sardinia and Portugal.
Which hotels in Europe have football camps with famous footballers?
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik in Croatia runs Campioni football camps led by former Premier League players. In 2027 there are seven Campioni weeks there, covering May half-term, July, August and October half-term. Children train on an astro pitch overlooking the Adriatic, coached by a football legend and UEFA-licensed coaches.
Which holiday resorts have a football pitch?
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik in Croatia has an astro pitch with views over the Adriatic Sea, where Campioni camps train every morning. Niva Kuramathi in the Maldives hosts Campioni camps on the island itself, so there is no travel to training. With Campioni, the pitch comes with daily coaching from Premier League legends.
What are the best hotels in Croatia for kids?
Sun Gardens Dubrovnik is one of Croatia’s best five-star resorts for families, and home to Campioni’s Croatia football camps. It has four pools, including a family pool with a slide and shallow kids’ area, plus a private beach and 16 restaurants and bars. Families can stay in one-, two- or three-bedroom residences with full kitchens, or a five-bedroom villa. It is in Orašac, 20 minutes’ drive from Dubrovnik Old Town and about 45 minutes from Dubrovnik Airport.
What can families do at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik besides football?
Plenty. The sports centre has tennis, squash, badminton, basketball, a climbing wall and a gym with fitness classes plus a free gaming room with PS5s and gaming PCs. Parents have an award-winning spa with an indoor pool, and Dubrovnik’s Old Town, cable car and Game of Thrones tours are a short drive or boat ride away.
Which Maldives resorts are good for families with kids?
Niva Kuramathi is a family-friendly island resort in the Maldives and home to Campioni’s Maldives football camps. Its Bageecha Kids’ Club runs from 08:30 to 18:30 for ages 3 to 12, and two-bedroom beach houses sleep six. There are 12 dining venues, a house reef for snorkelling and an on-site dive school. The resort is 1.5 hours from Malé by speedboat, or 20 minutes by seaplane.
Prices, dates and booking
How much does a Campioni football holiday camp cost?
A full Campioni week costs €600 in Croatia and $960 in the Maldives, with shorter options from €280. Camp prices cover coaching and kit; accommodation and flights are booked separately.
| Destination | Full week | Shorter options | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, Croatia | €600 (5 days) | €480 for 4 days, €380 for 3 days, €280 for 2 days | Kit, cap, bag and water bottle |
| Niva Kuramathi, Maldives | $960 (6 days, Monday–Saturday) | $200 per day | Kit, cap, bag and water bottle |
Can children join for just a few days?
Yes. In Croatia you can book two, three, four or five days of football. In the Maldives there is a daily rate of $200.
How do I book a Campioni football holiday?
There are two ways. To book flights and hotel together, get a quote from Campioni’s ABTA/ATOL-protected travel partners: Kuoni for the Maldives or the Croatia holiday quote form. If you have already booked your holiday, register for the football camp only on the Croatia or Maldives page.
When are Campioni’s 2027 football holiday dates?
Campioni has nine holiday weeks in 2027: two in the Maldives and seven at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik in Croatia.
| Dates (2027) | Destination | School holiday | Legend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 March – 3 April | Maldives | Easter | Andy Cole |
| 31 May – 4 June | Croatia | May half-term | To be announced |
| 5–9 July | Croatia | Summer | To be announced |
| 12–16 July | Croatia | Summer | To be announced |
| 26–31 July | Maldives | Summer | Stuart Pearce MBE |
| 9–13 August | Croatia | Summer | To be announced |
| 16–20 August | Croatia | Summer | To be announced |
| 23–27 August | Croatia | Summer | To be announced |
| 25–29 October | Croatia | October half-term | To be announced |
Coaching, safety and what’s included
Who coaches at Campioni football camps?
Each Campioni holiday week is led by a former Premier League or international player, supported by UEFA-licensed coaches. The coaches come from Premier League clubs and academies and are experienced in coaching children. The team includes Michael Johnson, England’s Youth Development Phase lead, and UEFA ‘A’ Licensed coach Adrian Whitbread.
What will my child learn?
Sessions are based on how Campioni’s ex-pros trained, and follow the FA’s Four Corner Model: technical, physical, psychological and social development. Children work on technique, game understanding, confidence and teamwork.
What is included in a Campioni football camp?
- Kit, cap, water bottle and bag, presented at the Sunday welcome drinks
- Two hours’ coaching a day from a football legend and UEFA-licensed coaches
- Family welcome drinks and a chance to meet the legend
- A mid-week parents’ match
- An end-of-week medal presentation (plus a certificate in Croatia)
- Time with the legends around the resort during the week
Are Campioni camps safe?
Yes. Campioni follows The FA’s Safeguarding Policy and all coaches are DBS-checked. Training takes place on-site at the resort, so there is no travel to sessions.
What should my child bring?
Football boots or astro trainers, shin pads and sun cream. Campioni provides the kit, cap, bag and water bottle.
UK camps and weekly training
Does Campioni run football camps in the UK?
Yes. Campioni runs school-holiday football camps in Essex and Hertfordshire: Chigwell and Loughton, Hornchurch and Upminster, and Sawbridgeworth with former Premier League defender James Collins. Venues include Debden Park, Chigwell School, Campion School in Hornchurch and Leventhorpe in Sawbridgeworth. See UK camps.
Does Campioni offer weekly football training?
Yes. Campioni runs weekly Elite Clinics, junior courses in Hornchurch and Loughton, and goalkeeper training. See weekly training.
Where is Campioni based and how do I contact them?
Campioni is based in Essex, and has run football camps and holidays since 2016. Email info@campioni.co.uk or call +44 (0)7976 740 860, Monday to Friday 8am–7pm and Saturday 11am–4pm.