Dubai: Teams from the UAE-based du La Liga High Performance Centre have beaten La Liga youth sides on their recent tour of Spain.
The Under-14s, who are taking part in their first overseas camp, beat Cadiz 1-0, courtesy of a Yiannis Petras freekick, while the Under-16s thrashed Granada 4-0. Mohammad Al Shabrawy scored two, one either side of Fabio Rollano’s effort, before a fourth from Barbod Mazloumian.
“We are very proud of our teams and their performances this week,” said La Liga regional director Fernando Sanz.
“The level of football in La Liga is very high and the fact these youngsters have the ability to compete and win at Spanish standards reflects on the programme we have for them in the UAE.”
This third annual trip to Spain has been the largest so far with 48 players ranging from 11-17-years-old.
They were selected for the High Performance Centre after impressing in last season’s nationwide du Football Champions tournament. Both were set up to provide a pathway to professionalism for UAE-based players.
Games in Spain are monitored by La Liga scouts, which could result in UAE-based players from the programme getting picked up by Spanish clubs.
