Sports | Monday 27 August, 2018 11:18 am |

Rounding off the 21-day LaLiga scouting camp, marked by intensive training and competitive matches against LaLiga’s best youth clubs, the du LaLiga HPC players gave it their all in the final week, where the U16 team held their own against top LaLiga Youth Club Real Betis, a strong performance that follows on the heels of the U16s crushing LaLiga Youth Club Granada 4-0 last week.

Real Betis proved to be tough opponents pushing the du LaLiga HPC team to demonstrate strength and strategy.  The U16 match had onlookers on edge with equal possession on both sides and opportunity after opportunity for shots on goal. After Real Betis scored in the first half, du LaLiga HPC went on the offensive until they equalized in the second half with 15 minutes left on the clock, ending the match with a 1-1 draw.

LaLiga scouts were on the lookout for outstanding players to be invited to join LaLiga club youth squads, with trials as a first step. They were very impressed with several of the players and final decisions on trials will be announced in a few days.

 

Speaking about the performance of the du LaLiga HPC teams in Spain this summer, David Iglesias, Head Coach and former Real Madrid’s youth team coach said, “Over the last three weeks, our budding du LaLiga HPC footballers have played some of their best football to date against very strong international youth clubs, the result of the year-long professional development training program they receive at the du LaLiga HPC in the UAE.”

 

Fernando Sanz, General Director - La Liga, MENA, visited the du LaLiga HPC players in Spain throughout the duration of the Camp, attending both training and matches.

Commenting on the performance of the teams, Sanz said, “These young UAE du LaLiga HPC players are among some of the of the most passionate and motivated I have seen. They are committed to do all it takes to fulfill their dreams. We have established the LaLiga High Performance Centre in the UAE for this purpose, providing them with the best training at the hands of pro-certified LaLiga coaches and giving them a solid foundation on which to develop themselves to their best potential and creating for them a LaLiga Scouting Camp, as an ideal opportunity to get scouted into top clubs, including LaLiga.”

 

Sanz added: “Based on the performance of the players in Spain this summer, I am confident that we will hear some positive news about professional trials soon. We will be following these developments closely.”

Top du LaLiga HPC players who are invited for trials at LaLiga clubs will have the opportunity to showcase their skills for potential contract awards, while enabling them to observe and experience the life of young Spanish professional football players of their age.

The du LaLiga High Performance Centre (HPC) was set up in the UAE 3 years ago to provide top footballers across the nation with a clear pathway to a pro-football career, by providing them with the highest level of training delivered at LaLiga standards. The Centre was expanded this year to include three categories for players between the ages of 11 and 17 years. Players can be scouted through du Football Champions, in partnership with LaLiga, and invited to join the Centre where they are trained year-long by UEFA Pro-Certified LaLiga coaches in preparation for professional football careers nationally and internationally.