Future world stars at Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad International Under-19 footbal tournament

Dubai: Remember the names; Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Gil, David Martinez, Joaquim Rodriguez, Francisco Celeste, Giovanni Laraia and Marco Fabiani could soon become big stars in the world of football to rival the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta.

They all took part in the ten-day Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad International Under-19 football, which concluded at the Al Nasr Club grounds last week.

Gil and Martinez were very crucial in the triumph of Spanish giants Valencia CF, while Rodriguez and Celeste were the midfield magicians for South American side Boca Juniors.

Meanwhile, Laraia and Fabiani were among a talented young crop of players who impressed at Lega Pro Italy – officially the junior national side.

“There are a few talented players in this tournament and it is always such a pleasure to see them do the right thing at the right time on the pitch,” said Valencia CF coach Sergio Pellicer.

“I’ve had this group of players for the past three years and I have seen them evolve at all levels, be it technical, tactical, psychological and physical. They have all been showing a marked improvement all along and it won’t be too long before we see Nacho [Gil] and David [Martinez] in the national team,” he added.

The coach added that Valencia is a cradle for nurturing young players, who later advance to bigger teams in search of a better football future.

“Now is the key moment for all these players. They are at the crossroads of their careers. It’s either make or break for most of them. But if I am asked to name a couple, then it would have to Nacho and David who have the possibility of making it big,” Pellicer admitted.

When asked to compare Argentina legend Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, Boca Juniors coach Ernesto Perisse said we could “add Rodriguez [Joaquin] and Francisco [Celeste] to this list”.

“Boca Juniors already have eight players at all levels in the Argentinian team, and there are a few who this side who can make it to the top in the future,” Perisse said.

“But it would help them all to know that the road is hard and long and they need to just keep their focus and work on their skills and mentality all the way,” he added.

Boca Juniors did not do particularly well in the Dubai tournament, with the jet lag suffered by the players after their long journey cited as a key reason for this.

“But as professionals they have to take all these things in their stride and give their best. I don’t question the commitment of our players, but it’s simply that their best was not enough to carry us through the group stages,” Perisse admitted.

Italy’s Lega Pro, meanwhile, were unsuccessful in defending their title this year. For a start, they came with their under-18 squad, who were involved in their first major assignment. Despite the stiff competition, they went on to finish third with a 2-1 win over local side Al Ahli.

“I think for this young team third place is like winning the trophy,” Lega Pro coach Valerio Bertotto said.

“Being together as a team for the first time this group has shown a lot of signs of improving and I am confident that players like [Giovanni] Laraia and Marco [Fabiani] will be household names in Italy in the future.”