The Yellows were crowned champions of the Legia Cup in Warsaw
Villarreal CF’s Alevín B team (U11s), just as the first team did on 26th May 2021 when they won the Europa League in Gdansk, wrote their own chapter of glory in Poland by winning the Legia Cup trophy in Warsaw.
For two days, the Yellow Submarine’s young players demonstrated their grit and talent, competing against internationally renowned teams such as Aston Villa, Sparta Prague and Hertha Berlin. “It was the first time I played against these teams that play in leagues like the Premier League or the Bundesliga and I was very excited,” said Marc Ortiz, one of the Yellow Submarine’s players.
Quick adaptation and a desire to excel
During the course of the tournament, the group coached by Juanma Blasco, Nacho Murillo and Josep Lurbe was forced to modify their usual style of play, adapting to the tournament format. In fact, their coaches highlight the absence of offside, the fact that the throw-ins were taken with feet and that the goal was smaller than usual.
“The first two games were a bit difficult, but the boys adapted very quickly and even managed to do better than the teams that had some of these rules in their competitions,” explains Juanma Blasco. Xavi Bedrina, another of the promising youngsters, adds: “It was a lot of fun, because we played indoors. Back then it was much noisier and less cold.”
The highlight came with the 1-0 win over Legia Warszawa in the penultimate match of the tournament, which proclaimed them champions against the hosts – in total, the Yellows had nine wins and two draws – “The tournament was a lot of fun, with short 15-minute matches that were very intense, which we all enjoyed. At the end of the match against the Polish team, the boys were bursting with joy and others were crying with emotion. They immediately went to celebrate with their parents, almost all of whom had come, and they even sang the anthem a capella,” says Nacho Murillo.
Adrián Copado, another of the players, remembers the moment with great emotion: “It was the first time I had won a tournament, and outside Spain! We shouted, sang and jumped a lot.” Joan Martínez added: “The Cup was huge, it was bigger than Ortiz,” while laughing at the comparison.
An unforgettable trip
For some of the players, this tournament was their first experience outside Spain, so nerves and excitement were high from the moment they found out they were going to take part in this prestigious tournament.
“We have a funny anecdote, typical of children, about the outward journey. As we left so early and it gets dark so early in Poland, Xavi told us that he was sad because he hadn’t seen the sun. But beyond that, the whole group really enjoyed the experience,” recalls coach Murillo.
It was a trip that served to reinforce the cohesion of the group, who even ‘adopted’ a stuffed kitten that they found in the hotel and became the mascot of the younger ones. After the tournament, the Yellows had time to do a bit of sightseeing and marvel at what the city of Warsaw had to offer. Undoubtedly, a unique experience that will remain engraved in the memory of the players and coaches who have experienced this special trip, carrying the name of Villarreal CF with pride throughout the national and international geography.
