The 2nd edition of du Football Champions has already attracted 5,000+ youngsters.

Fernando Sanz, LaLiga's managing director for MENA, and Michel Salgado, a LaLiga ambassador, were among those in attendance for the official launch of the second edition of the du Football Champions programme. Also present were Fahad Al Hassawi, du's chief commercial officer; Hussein Murad, the CEO of Inspiratus Group; and Mohammed Hazzam, the general secretary of the United Arab Emirates Football Association.

The du Football Champions initiative was born a year ago with the aim of giving budding young players from the UAE access to high-quality training at grassroots level and a development pathway. As part of this objective, LaLiga established the first High Performance Centre in Dubai to provide promising prospects with the opportunity to hone their skills. A year on, du Football Champions has proven a huge hit and there are already more than 5,000 kids signed up for the second edition. "We were really impressed by the level on display in the first edition of du Football. We created the High Performance Centre to make sure that these youngsters receive the best possible training, so that they have the chance to make a career for themselves at top clubs," explained Sanz.

LaLiga ambassador Salgado believes that a bright future beckons for football in the UAE: "Given the quality I saw in the first season of du Football, I'm sure that it won't be too long until we see a star from the UAE playing in LaLiga. I will be keeping tabs on all the talents that emerge and I encourage all young people to take part." 

Al Hassawi, du's chief commercial officer, confirmed that the challenge set last year had been achieved, and that this had led to lowering the age limits for the programme: "In its first season, du Football fulfilled its training commitment to young players and I can attest that the High Performance Centre was a resounding success because it is already producing polished talents. We can now confirm that our second season will be open to players under the age of 14 years old."

In just one year, du Football Champions has become a dream for UAE youngsters looking to forge their way as professionals in competitions like LaLiga: "We are committed to changing youngsters' lives and making their dreams come true. The LaLiga High Performance Centre is an example of how this is possible," said Murad, the CEO of Inspiratus Group.

Amongst the opportunities offered by du Football is the chance of a three-day visit to Spain to watch matches involving Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona, as well as a 21-day trip to Spain to train and take part in matches against LaLiga academy teams.