Dubai: The number of matchdays in the third du Football Champions (duFC) season have risen from 17 to 26 to incorporate a rise in participating UAE schools from 250 to 500, it was announced on Thursday.
Last season, duFC, incorporating both the School and Street Cups in partnership with La Liga, saw five players scouted into the du La Liga High Performance Centre (HPC) get invited for trials at Malaga, Almeria and Cadiz following a 21-day camp in Spain.
That success-rate has led to an increased demand this year forcing the tournament to incorporate more midweek matchdays on top of weekend dates to accommodate for what will be the initiative’s largest ever participation. This means even more young UAE-based players will have the chance to be scouted by clubs this season, which runs across the emirates from November 4 to April 14.
The duFC is a nationwide youth football tournament for girls and boys formed in 2015 to provide a pathway to professionalism for local players.
Up to 500 schools and 10,000 players aged 11-18 will be vying for a chance to join the du La Liga HPC, where they will be trained by top coaches and taken on camp to Spain, ready to catch the eye of scouts in a bid for a professional contract.
