▲ Part of the young soccer players selected to carry out a training camp in various Spanish clubs.Photo Europe Press
Europa Press
Newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday March 29, 2023, p. a10
Madrid. LaLiga Select, a talent detection and development program launched in 2021 by LaLiga North America together with ISL Agency, landed in Spain from February to March to train 255 young players from the United States and Canada in Madrid.
The figures for this second edition doubled those of 2022, when 118 elements were chosen to train in LaLiga with a training phase in Spain.
With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, being a part of developing future talent in the sport in the United States is key for us.
pointed out Nicolás García Hemme, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development of LaLiga North America.
The footballers, between the ages of 12 and 19, were selected by LaLiga Grassroots scouts and coaches during 2022 from among 18,600 participants in 18 fairs and tournaments in places such as Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. In addition, young people from the academies of the Spanish competition in the country were also evaluated, such as LaLiga Academy in New York.
Divided into two groups of 124 and 131 players, the new talents spent almost a month in Madrid practicing intensively with eight LaLiga coaches, including a goalkeeper coach, to face a series of games with the basic forces of Atlético de Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Getafe, Fuenlabrada and Leganés.
Likewise, the seven teams, divided by age, faced Rayo Majadahonda and received the chance to work with Real Madrid and Atlético in their sports cities.
Of these 255 footballers, a selection was made of the four most outstanding, who will return to Spain to immerse themselves in different academies of the LaLiga clubs. It is also expected that some will have the opportunity to develop part of their training in our long-term academic-sports program, the second edition of which will take place in the 23-24 season.
indicated Javier Hernández, head of International Development at LaLiga Grassroots.
For his part, the manager of Sports Projects, Juan Florit, stressed that one of the objectives of the program is the promotion of soccer globally
in such a way that “the growth of the sport is promoted.
In the case of LaLiga Select, we have seen a significant positive evolution in the level of players from the United States and Canada each season through LaLiga projects
he stressed.
LaLiga North America has support for grassroots soccer as one of its five strategic pillars.
