Fernando Sanz: "We believe in the potential of the youngsters from the UAE"

The 2015-16 duFC Elite Team are headed back home after spending 17 days at a LaLiga training camp in Malaga led by LaLiga-selected coaches, as part of which they got the chance to take on youth sides from some of the top clubs in Spanish football. Over the second fortnight of July, this squad made up of the most talented players from schools in the United Arab Emirates and the winners of the UAE Streets Cup (an Under-16s event), played a total of four friendlies and made a great impression.

In the words of Fernando Sanz, LaLiga's managing director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), "We really believe in the potential of the youngsters from the UAE and they've proven that they can hold their own against LaLiga clubs' youth teams. This is just the beginning for these youngsters: they have a bright future ahead of them and we will be monitoring their progress very closely through our du LaLiga High Performance Centre in Dubai."

LaLiga coach Rafael Gil offered a glowing verdict after working with the gifted prospects for a fortnight: "We're very proud of the youngsters from the UAE. Scouts from several LaLiga clubs were pleasantly surprised by them. I'm convinced that there are lads in the team who will go on to become professional players."

The team from the UAE trained twice a day during their unforgettable two-week stay in Spain. Their captain,Mohamed Bouherrafa, had this to say about the experience: "It's been life-changing. I love football and when I started out with duFC I felt it was an opportunity to play like the pros."