Sport | Football
Dubai Youngsters set to represent FC Barcelona in international event
Three Dubai youngsters will shortly be packing their kitbags and heading off on the football trip of a lifetime.
- Staff Report
- Published: 23:35 December 4, 2008
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
- Nicholas Kruze, Adham Hamza and Julian Lamadrid are heading to Europe to play alongside players from Celtic, Sporting Lisbon, Lazio and Valencia.
Dubai: Three Dubai youngsters will shortly be packing their kitbags and heading off on the football trip of a lifetime.
They have been selected to take part in an international soccer tournament in Europe where they will represent FC Barcelona, one of the greatest names in the beautiful game.
Nicholas Kruze, Adham Hamza and Julian Lamadrid were chosen for their talent at a recently opened soccer training programme, currently underway at Raffles International School, in Jumeirah.
Nicholas, who is aged nine, said. "I'm quite excited to be going."
The selection of the best of the school's youngsters to take up places in a squad which will be visiting Poland has been an integral part of the FCBEscola programme, which is being held under the tutelage of Josep Gombau a Level 3 Soccer Coach.
The three youngsters will be part of an FC Barcelona side that is participating in a tournament with junior teams from such well known football names as Celtic, Sporting Lisbon, Lazio and Valencia. Representing the Middle East for Dubai FCBEsola at the tournament will be Hamza, who is also nine years old.
Lamadrid is the third of the students who will be flying to Spain on December 9.
The 10-year-old attends the JESS School at the Arabian Ranches and has been playing football for six years. Unsurprisingly, he says that his favourite team is FC Barcelona and lists swimming and gaming on his Playstation as his other favourite activities.
"I feel very lucky to be chosen to go with the school, as seeing the Camp Nou is one of my dreams," he added.
Julian will be doing much more than simply seeing FC Barcelona's iconic Camp Nou. Prior to the competition in Poland, the three youngsters will undergo further tuition at the Camp Nou Academy.
They will also be invited to attend a first team training session, where they can watch superstar players such as Thierry Henri, Lionel Messi and team captain Charles Puyol.
The players will doubtlessly be demonstrating the winning routines that have helped propel FC Barcelona to two UEFA Champions League Cups, four UEFA Cup Winners' Cups and two Super European Cups.
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