 "India U-17 men's team begin Spain tour against Atletico de Madrid U-16")
The India U-17 men's team will begin its preparatory tour of Spain with a match against Atletico de Madrid U-16s at the Alcala De Henares in Madrid on Wednesday.
The Indians are preparing for the upcoming AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand, and will play the age group teams of some of the top Spanish clubs during the ongoing tour.
Head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, "The boys are very excited to be here, training in this kind of environment and facilities. They have adapted quickly to the conditions and have been working hard, and we are getting better as a team."
The match against Atletico de Madrid U-16 will be a challenging affair but Fernandes maintained that the team has its eyes trained on getting up to the proper level to compete in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup.
"We are well aware of the level of quality and game insight of the teams we are set to play here. At the same time, we are preparing ourselves the way we want to play in AFC keeping in mind the teams in our group stages," said Fernandes.
India have been drawn in Group D of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, alongside the likes of Vietnam (June 17), Uzbekistan (June 20), and Japan (June 23), with the matches set to be played in Pathum Thani and Bangkok.
The team has been training at Atletico de Madrid's facilities over the last week, and has also had the opportunity to watch the La Liga match between Atletico and UD Almeria. Fernandes feels that it is an excellent opportunity for the young boys and the staff to experience the facilities in Spain, something that would come in handy later on.
"This is a rare opportunity for not only the boys, but also for us, the staff, and we thank the AIFF for organising these matches for us. Over the last week, we have had several interactions with the Atletico coaches where they have explained to us their methods and the values of the club," said Fernandes.
"All this has helped change our thinking and approach in every training session. It has also motivated our boys and we all are looking forward eagerly to this test," he said.