Nigerian Coach Ayere Sylvester Signs New Deal with Real Madrid World

Nigerian coach Ayere Sylvester has secured a one-year contract extension with Real Madrid World after a highly successful debut season in his role with the organisation based in Dubai.

Sylvester, who served as an assistant coach during his initial spell, played a pivotal role in leading and organising Real Madrid World’s global training initiatives, working with thousands of players from diverse nationalities.

Reflecting on the extension, Ayere described the new contract as evidence of his “competency, dedication and commitment,” and stressed the impact of his work over the past year.

During his first year, Sylvester designed the training structure used across Real Madrid World programmes and was even involved in the Real Madrid Legend initiative, where he conducted one-on-one sessions with former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos.

The CFA Level 3/UEFA B licensed coach began his international coaching journey with Fleetwood United FC in Dubai’s second division, where he helped the club win promotion to the first division before being recruited by Real Madrid World.

A Dubai-based coach originally from Nigeria, Sylvester also has experience working with youth and women’s teams, and has held roles such as head coach and head of opposition analysis in Nigeria before joining the international stage.

Editorial

In a footballing landscape increasingly defined by borders and brand power, Ayere Sylvester’s contract renewal with Real Madrid World is a quiet, but significant, triumph of intellect and enterprise. This is not merely a story of another coach adding another year to a contract; it is an emblem of how global football’s gravitational pull now extends far beyond the first teams in LaLiga or the Premier League.

Real Madrid, as a brand, does not seek mediocrity it demands precision, ethos and innovation. That Sylvester, a Nigerian tactician nurtured in the competitive and often underfunded coaching corridors of his homeland, has become indispensable to a programme that shapes young global talent is testament to both his character and the evolving geography of football teaching.

In an age when coaching pathways are too often measured in trophies and television punditry, Sylvester’s success underscores something more profound profound influence can be wielded in the preparation rooms, in methodology manuals, and in the way a coach elevates those around him. His work with Real Madrid World’s expansive training programmes including intimate technical sessions with legends reflects a synthesis of tactical acuity and pedagogical clarity.

Football’s megabrands are no longer just about the glittering marquee names they are about the architects behind the process. Sylvester’s extension is not an anomaly, but an indication of how the modern game values the quietly brilliant, the coaches unafraid to merge global ambition with grounded, grassroots sensibility.

For Nigerian football, too, this story should resonate deeply. It signals that excellence conceived in Africa can influence practice at the heart of world football’s institutions. And for Sylvester himself, this new chapter offers a stage that rewards not only technical mastery but intellectual courage a rarity, and one worth celebrating.

Did You Know?

1. Real Madrid World is not the same as Real Madrid CF’s first team — it is a global coaching and development programme associated with the club’s brand, focused on youth training and grassroots engagement.
2. No Nigerian-born coach has ever been head coach of Real Madrid’s first team, or held a senior managerial role in Spain’s LaLiga.
3. Real Madrid’s first team is currently managed by Xabi Alonso, having succeeded Carlo Ancelotti earlier in 2025.
4. Roberto Carlos, mentioned in the article’s initiative, won three UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid during his playing career.
5. Coaching qualifications such as UEFA B and FA Level 3 are recognised internationally, enabling coaches to work across diverse footballing cultures and systems worldwide.