Javier Tebas: "LaLiga Promises is very special and important to us"

LaLiga president Javier Tebas; the CEO of Villarreal CF, Fernando Roig Nogueroles; and Jose Ramon de la Morena, the president of the El Larguero Foundation, came together in the central studio of Cadena SER radio station on Thursday 19 May to present the 25th edition of the PAMESA LaLiga Promises National Tournament, which is graced by the hottest prospects in Spanish football every year. This time round the tournament takes place in Villarreal and will feature a warm-up event in the shape of an All-Star game on 2 June at 20:00 CET, with each team including one representative from every club taking part in the competition alongside two LaLiga legends.

LaLiga's country manager for the United States, Raul Gonzalez, will be reunited with Liga BBVA ambassador Fernando Morientes on one of these teams, while the other lineup will see Liga BBVA ambassadors Carles Puyol and Marcos Senna join forces.

Javier Tebas made a point of voicing his gratitude to all those whose hard work goes into this annual tournament, which he described as "very important" to LaLiga. "For starters, I want to thank everyone who has been involved in making this tournament happen from day one. LaLiga Promises has become a classic event and a generation of Spanish players have developed with this competition. We end every campaign with LaLiga Promises and it goes without saying that it's something very special and important to us. We also have to thank Villarreal for agreeing to it being staged in their facilities, which will prove difficult to top. As for the kids who will be there, here's hoping that they emulate their elders by giving their all to achieve their goals and, if they don't achieve them, they will be able to go away proud at having done their utmost," noted the LaLiga president.

For his part, Jose Ramon de la Morena highlighted the competition's developmental role. "This tournament, with children of these ages, represents football at its purest. That's why we have thrown our weight behind them and the organisation of this tournament, despite the vast effort it takes. For three days in a row, these kids get to become [real] footballers, and it's very important to them," said the head of the El Larguero Foundation.

The 25th edition of the PAMESA LaLiga Promises National Tournament will be held at the Pamesa Ceramica Training Ground in Villarreal from 3 to 5 June. It will be contested by 20 LaLiga clubs' Under-12s sides, who will be divided into four 5-team groups for starters. After a round-robin group stage, the best-placed teams will go through to the round of 16, at which point a knockout format will take over en route to the final, which is scheduled for Sunday 5 June at 13:00 CET.