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José Luis Pardo Cuerdo visited the Yellow Submarine’s facilities in Selangor where the LaLiga Santander champions trophy was on display.
Kuala Lumpur, 10 February 2023. This Thursday the Villarreal Malaysia Academy received the institutional visit of the Spanish Ambassador to Malaysia, Mr. José Luis Pardo Cuerdo. The Yellow Submarine has for many years been one of the most iconic teams of LaLiga Santander around the world, as well as being a reference internationally for their work with their youth academy. After the inauguration of the academy in Kuala Lumpur in August 2022, the club has also become a footballing reference in Malaysia.
During his visit to the Villarreal Malaysia Academy, the Spanish Ambassador to Malaysia was accompanied by Jonathan Abishegam, director of the academy, and Adrián Prol, LaLiga delegate in Malaysia. The LaLiga Santander champions trophy was on display at the Spanish club’s facilities for the occasion, and Mr. José Luis Pardo Cuerdo was also presented with a personalised Villarreal CF shirt.
“Sport makes part of the daily life in Spain and especially of the youth. We are very proud of our talented players in so many disciplines. Nevertheless, football is the king of sports in my country. Spanish football clubs are well known worldwide since the La Liga Santander is one of the most competitive, performing and attractive competitions in the world, always eager to attract national and international talent. I have had the opportunity to assess all this during my professional career as diplomat and confirm how intense the performance of Spanish teams in national, European and World competitions are followed by millions of followers abroad. In this context Villareal CF has become one of the best clubs in Spain with astonishing performance both in La Liga Santander and in Champions and Europa Leagues. It is a pleasure to witness the extraordinary work it makes in Malaysia training in this school Malaysian children and youths and forming them not only as players but as persons in the values of discipline and friendship. I see that in this alliance they are really a ‘dream team’,” stated Mr. José Luis Pardo Cuerdo, the Spanish Ambassador to Malaysia.
The Villarreal Malaysia Academy has the capacity to work with more than 400 players, between the ages of 3 to 19, as well as around twenty coaches. It is part of the Villarreal CF Soccer Academy international expansion project, through which the club shares its successful methodology around the world.
“We are honored to have the Spanish Ambassador, Mr. José Luis Pardo Cuerdo and Adrián Prol from LaLiga visit us. Their support in our Spanish football journey is well welcomed and we are looking forward on how we can bring more synergy with our Spanish counterparts here in Malaysia. Villarreal Malaysia has been an amazing success so far with more than 300 active players in our football academy and a lot of potential to keep growing, 2023 is an exciting year for us,” said Jonathan Abishegam, Villarreal Malaysia Academy director.
LaLiga supports the development of the professional football industry through grassroots football in Malaysia and other Asian countries, such as Singapore and Japan, thanks to LaLiga Grassroots, as well as through permanent LaLiga Academy and LaLiga Football Schools projects in countries such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam, and long-term educational projects such as the agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Education to teach football in schools.
“The Spanish Ambassador’s visit to the Villarreal Malaysia Academy underlines the importance of football as a perfect standard bearer for an entire country and as a societal unifier. It also reinforces the continued commitment of all LaLiga clubs, and Villarreal CF in particular, to expanding the successful model of Spanish football around the world,” said Adrián Prol, LaLiga Delegate in Malaysia.
