Betis crowned champions of the Danone Nations Cup southern section

As champions of the southern section, Real Betis have added their name to the list of finalists set to travel to Barcelona for the National Final of the Danone Nations Cup on 20, 21, 22 May. Over 450 boys and girls aged between 10 and 12 got to live out their dreams of becoming a professional footballer for the day as a total of 32 teams hailing from Seville, Malaga, Cadiz, Cordoba, Jaen and Ciudad Real descended on Seville's Pablo de Olavide university to battle it out for the regional title. On a day in which a spirit of togetherness, camaraderie and footballing fun took centre stage, family members and friends were on hand to cheer the youngsters on, whilst former player and LaLiga legend, Koke Contreras, was also in attendance.

It was Betis and Malaga CF who made it through to the final, and whilst both sides put in a tremendous amount of effort, ultimately it was the Verdiblancos who ran out 3-2 winners in the penalty shoot-out.

With the on-field action over, next up it was time for the awards ceremony. The Lanjaron Fair Play accolade went to Cordoba CF, on account of the players' attitude and exemplary behaviour throughout the whole tournament. In addition, the children were offered the opportunity to learn all about healthy lifestyle habits through a series of talks given to each of the participating teams and the various games laid on by the event organisers. Furthermore, the youngsters participated in several interesting awareness-raising activities which aimed to make them appreciate the effort involved in even the most basic of daily tasks. One of these activities was the Adecco Foundation's Circuito de las estrellas (Circle of stars), which saw the children assume the role of a disabled person.

Barcelona is currently readying itself for the National Final, which will be staged at RCD Espanyol's Dani Jarque training complex and the RCDE Stadium on 20, 21 and 22 May. In two days' time, on 2 May, will we know the identity of the winners of the central section as the teams take to the pitches at the Dehesa de Navalcarbon, Las Rozas (Madrid) to contest the regional title.

Each year the Danone Nations Cup (DNC) brings together more than two and a half million boys and girls from over 30 countries across the five continents. In total, more than 11,000 clubs and 34,000 schools take part in the event worldwide, whilst within Spain around 40,000 youngsters participate in the competition. Quite apart from its status as the leading children's football tournament, the DNC also represent a unique opportunity for young players from across the world to enjoy a one-off experience whilst fostering dreams of lining up in the World Final.