Del Bosque and Barcelona football camps in Marbella.
The eyes of the football world may be on France for the Euro 2016 championships this summer, but Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque may find himself glancing towards the Costa del Sol too. Spanish fans will hope he does not take his eyes off the ball though, as he is aiming to add the European title to the World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 silverware he has already claimed, but the coach has shown his commitment to grassroots sports by choosing Estepona as the venue for a special summer school for young footballers. It is the fourth year running that Del Bosque—the most successful Spanish coach ever—has held the summer school in the town, and he was in Estepona recently to officially launch the event with Mayor José María García. In keeping with his philosophy of producing rounded characters rather than just footballers—Del Bosque started his managerial career as Real Madrid’s youth team coach, so he knows all there is to know about dealing with young footballers—the camp is an experience that is about much more than football alone. While soccer activities will be held in the municipal sports centre, other events planned include trips to the beach and water park, hiking routes and even English classes. Del Bosque—who was made a Marquis by King Juan Carlos I for his services to Spain—said the aim is to teach such values as “friendship, companionship, integration and coexistence” through sport. He added: “Interpersonal relationships are the basis of every society…as well as being good athletes, you have to be good citizens.” His is not the only big name summer school in the area either—budding Lionel Messis can join the Barcelona FC camp being held in Marbella this year. Previous ones have been very popular and this year’s summer school at the Marbella Football Centre is no exception. Young players from the ages of eleven to 18 will be taught to hone their skills using Barcelona FC’s training methods by coaches accredited by the La Liga champions. These international-class summer schools are a perfect fit for Marbella—itself a world class resort that provides excellent facilities not just to youngsters, but also to a host of professional sports teams from around the world.
