Four more players from the Soccer Inter-Action International Football Academy have joined the list of players with minutes in the first team of UD SIA Benigànim, which competes in the Spanish Third Division.
The setting for these four international players could not have been better: the Ciudad Deportiva Andrés Iniesta, owned by the professional club Albacete Balompié.
Competing in Spanish football
The Spanish La Liga is undoubtedly one of the most important competitions in the world. And it has earned it. The best players want to play in Spain because of its strong competitive level and achieving success in Spanish football is a dream for any young football player.
However, achieving this goal is by no means an easy task. One of the best options to develop a player’s talent from an early age are the International Football Academies.
SIA Academy, located in Enguera (Valencia), is a benchmark in these types of training centres. An example of this is the leap its players are making to important competitions, such as the Spanish Third Division.
International players in Football Academies
The first player to make his official debut at UD SIA Benigànim, in Spain’s Third Division, was Sid Bapodra. The Indian striker was rewarded for his great season in the U19 team and the coaching staff of the first team did not hesitate to use his services. The SIA Academy striker came on in the second half of the match against Recambios Colón, corresponding to the last matchday of the Phase II of Promotion to Segunda División B.
This first prize came days later accompanied, and also in a big way. Up to four more international players donned the UD SIA Benigànim jersey to prove their level in this Third Division team, made up entirely of U23 players.
Swiss David Vallélian, American Ethan Kim, Spaniard Tomás Marín and the also Spanish but French-based José Manuel Boukhetache were the players who put themselves under the orders of Fernando Gómez Colomer, coach of UD SIA Benigànim and Valencia CF legend.
Match against a professional Spanish football club
The setting chosen by SIA Academy to see these players make their debut with UD SIA Benigànim was the Ciudad Deportiva Andrés Iniesta, located in Albacete and home to the Albacete Balompié professional team. In honour of the footballer from La Mancha Andrés Iniesta, who trained at the club’s youth academy, the Ciudad Deportiva is where Albacete Balompié’s first team prepares for its daily league matches in the Spanish Second Division.
The match, in which Bapodra was also present, was against the first team’s reserve team. The match was marked by the good play of both teams, especially UD SIA Benigànim. Very faithful to their possession style, the team managed by SIA Academy enjoyed the best chances to score, including those generated by Bapodra with two shots from the edge of the area.
The second half was the most eagerly awaited for the SIA Academy players, as it was the moment when the four internationals took to the natural grass at the Ciudad Deportiva Andrés Iniesta. In the end, the victory went to the La Mancha side, although the result was the least important after the good performances of Ethan, José Manuel, Tomás and David, who, despite the initial nerves, gave their all.
Football trials in Spain
The season has come to an end in the Third Division and it is the perfect time for the first elite football trials. SIA Academy hosts various football trials at its High Performance Centre, as in the case of Ahmed, a 22-year-old footballer who has opted for SIA Academy to test his level and aspire to have a place next season.
These trials not only serve to test the level of each player, but also to prepare for the next football trials in Spain that are scheduled, as the trials calendar extends throughout the summer and the players who opt for professional teams need to compete in as many trials as possible.
