LALIGA opens the first LALIGA Schools centre in Bogotá in partnership with COMPENSAR

LALIGA has opened the first of several LALIGA Schools centres in Bogotá, in partnership with COMPENSAR, as part of the new programme set to launch this April with the aim of boosting grassroots football development in the country. At the opening event, details of the project and the new Technical Director were presented, and a clinic was held with Saúl Vázquez, LALIGA coordinator and coach, who travelled from Spain for the launch. This project represents a strategic milestone for the Spanish league, as it is the first centre of its kind in Colombia and the only active programme of its kind in South America.

The new centre will fully implement the LALIGA Methodology, a training model developed from the elements that have placed the youth academies of LALIGA clubs among the world’s best. This Methodology is based on a holistic approach to player development, structured around four key pillars: tactical-cognitive, technical-coordinative, physical-conditional and psycho-socio-affective. Furthermore, it places special emphasis on the individualisation of the learning process, adapting to the specific needs of each player to maximise their sporting and personal development.

The project will be led on the ground by Miguel Casal, LALIGA’s technical director, who holds a UEFA PRO licence and has extensive international experience in the organisation’s training projects in various countries, including India and China. Based in Bogotá, he will be responsible for ensuring the correct implementation of the methodology, in constant coordination with LALIGA’s headquarters in Madrid. Under his leadership, the team of local coaches will receive ongoing training in LALIGA’s standards and methods, thereby ensuring the project’s long-term quality and sustainability.

One of the fundamental pillars of LALIGA Schools Bogotá will be precisely the training of local coaches, a key element within LALIGA’s global strategy to generate a lasting impact in the countries where it carries out its projects. Through training sessions, technical monitoring and ongoing support, the aim is to raise the standard of local professionals and contribute to greater professionalisation of the football ecosystem in partnership with COMPENSAR.

The centre will feature facilities designed to provide an optimal environment for training and development, in line with LALIGA’s quality standards.

Juan Raúl Mejía, LALIGA’s representative in Colombia:
“This project marks a very important step for LALIGA in Colombia. The opening of the first LALIGA Schools centre in Bogotá allows us to work directly on the development of football in the country from the grassroots level, sharing our methodology and contributing to the training of players and coaches in a strategic market for us in the region.”

Óscar Mario Ruiz, Director of the Wellbeing and Social Development Unit at Compensar, said: “Compensar, since its inception over 47 years ago,  has been committed to comprehensive sporting solutions accessible to all, which go beyond the technical training specific to each discipline to inspire the strengthening of social skills and values such as respect, tolerance, communication, empathy, leadership and conflict resolution – all increasingly necessary in today’s world;  all of this taking place within a first-class infrastructure: the Urban Recreation Centre in the very heart of Bogotá and various Comprehensive Wellbeing Centres located in different areas of the city and La Sabana, including the San Roque, Calle 220, Suba, Calle 94, Zona Franca, Autopista Sur, Carrera 60 and Centro Mayor sites; which, together, help people to become increasingly healthy, happy and productive”.

Juan Florit, Head of Football Projects at LALIGA:
“LALIGA Schools Bogotá embodies the essence of our work on international projects: delivering a training model based on the excellence of Spanish grassroots football, our own methodology focused on the all-round development of the player, and a philosophy of training the trainers. Our aim is to create a high-level environment where players can develop to their full potential and where local coaches grow alongside us, ensuring a sustainable long-term impact.”

With this launch, LALIGA continues to strengthen its international leadership in the development of youth football, drawing on a global network of projects that now comprises nearly 1,000 initiatives across more than 60 countries. Through the LALIGA Schools projects, the organisation continues to export its training model and values, contributing to the sustainable growth of football globally and offering young players a comprehensive experience based on excellence.