La Liga MoU big boost for gifted youth
Officials from the top leagues in Thailand and Spain yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in a wide range of fields.
The two-year MoU, signed between Thai League Co Ltd and La Liga at a press conference at the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) yesterday, calls for cooperation and assistance in developing football at the grassroots levels and devising marketing strategies among a host of other things.
The MoU signing ceremony was presided over by Football Association of Thailand president Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang and La Liga Southeast Asia managing director Ivan Codina.
Somyot said the MoU is an important development for Thailand.
“It is a part of our policy to send our national teams for training stints in Europe. We have not been able to do that because
the clubs have been reluctant to release their key players,” said Somyot. “We can still benefit from this deal with La Liga by helping our youth take advantage of it.
“We now plan to select 30 promising players from the junior leagues organised by the SAT and let them undergo encampment in Chiang Mai before sending them to train in Spain during school holidays.
“We also plan to have a selected group of Thai coaches trained in Spain.”
Codina said: “La Liga is impressed
by the commitment of the Thai association and league and their willingness to move forward.
“We are happy to have developed a great working relationship with a country which breathes football.
“This is a mutually beneficial deal as it would also help expand La Liga’s following among the Thai fans.”
La Liga is now committed to help Thailand develop men and women’s football in all age groups.