LaLiga club Leganés conduct clinic alongside Hijau Kuning FC
IN ITS aim to develop and professionalise their youth academy, Hijau Kuning FC (HKFC) were able to count on the collaboration of CD Leganés, a club with a long career in the Spanish football elite and currently playing in LaLiga SmartBank.
The Spanish club's director of the international department, Faissal Chehade, travelled to Alor Star to conduct a three-day clinic for the Malaysian club's youth footballers, LaLiga said in a media release on Friday (10 February).
He was able to put into practice the methodology of the successful youth academy model of the LaLiga clubs, which has been a hallmark of Spanish football for decades.
Leganés have been one of the leading clubs in dealing with their youth academy in the region of Madrid for many years.
In November, LaLiga sealed an agreement with Hijau Kuning, who are based in Kedah, to support the development of professional football in Malaysia by creating a solid grassroots football structure.
Under this partnership, LaLiga and its clubs are sharing their expertise and experience with the Malaysian club. There will be three LaLiga teams whose youth academies are international reference points that are participating in the first phase of the project: Atlético Madrid, Espanyol and Leganés.
Coaches from the local club have already travelled to Spain to work with the teams involved in this apprenticeship, as part of this agreement. Chehade, on behalf of Leganés, wanted to go the opposite way, travelling to Kedah in order to transfer all these knowledge.
“Hijau Kuning representatives were very happy when we first met in Estadio Municipal Butarque in Leganés, and we were pleased to get invited by them to conduct such type of a clinic," he said.
"The main aim was to leave a positive impact on the young kids, make it as a valuable experience, share our knowledge through the game and as part of our strategy to explore different places around the world and get the people know about Leganés."
Hijau Kuning president Muhammad Talhah Zainol said Chehade's experience in developing youth footballers will give a huge benefit for players to become a professional football in the future.
"We believed that through LaLiga football methodology, it will enhance our players and coach competency. We hope that this collaboration will be strengthened in the future,” he added.
The agreement runs for two years until July 2024, and will be divided into three parts. The first phase will be a consultancy, designing of adapted youth academy methodology and philosophy which the club will develop with the support of LaLiga's experts. A second phase includes support for the development of the plan designed and training of coaches and technical staff in the methodology. Finally, the third phase will be of consolidation of what has been implemented.
“Clinics like the one we have experienced this week at Alor Star demonstrate the shared commitment and passion of Hijau Kuning and LaLiga clubs to build strong structures for youth football, no matter the distance between one and the others,” said Adrián Prol, LaLiga delegate in Malaysia.
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