All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran is hopeful of the national U-17 team gaining “valuable experience” from the exposure tour of Spain and Germany as part of preparations for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Final Rounds in June-July in Thailand.
Prabhakaran on Saturday met the India U-17 men’s team, which will travel to Spain and Germany to train and play matches. The team is currently camping in Goa.
Prabhakaran said: “For us, our national youth team’s preparation is one of the biggest priority focus areas, and these youth players will have big exposure opportunities in Europe in the coming weeks.
“We had a long chat with the boys. I have advised them to concentrate on the job they have in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup final in Thailand. The tour of Spain and Germany would be a huge opportunity to gain valuable experience by playing against quality opponents.
“I am sure the boys will make the best use of it so that the team can achieve the target we are all aiming for and planning meticulously for a long time.” Present during the meeting was the federation’s chief technical officer Vincent Subramaniam.
Led by head coach Bibiano Fernandes, the 25-man squad will on Monday leave for Madrid, where they will stay in the facilities of Club Atlético de Madrid. The Blue Colts will play six friendly matches against academy teams of different age groups of top Spanish professional sides.
The Indian U-17 team will then travel to Frankfurt on May 16 to play two more friendly matches there.
Lastly, the contingent will move to Bangkok on May 31 for the final preparation camp before India’s first match against Vietnam on June 17.
The secretary general added: “We had an in-depth discussion with Head Coach Bibiano Fernandes and the support staff. They are totally focused, and I am sure the results in the next few months will make us proud.”
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