MUMBAI: LaLiga, Spain’s top football league, recently launched the LaLiga Football Schools in India. It is a comprehensive grassroots football development programme in association with India On Track (IOT) that is being set up across cities in India. The programme in Kerala will be hosted at the local partner, CREORTS’ facilities and centres.

LaLiga hopes the programme will be accessible to over 30 schools and 3000 pupils nationwide by the turn of this year.

The training programme at LaLiga Football Schools will be delivered using LaLiga’s technical curriculum and detailed methodology and will be overseen by the programme technical director, Javier Cabrera, appointed by LaLiga for India.

Former Villarreal midfielder and LaLiga Ambassador Robert Pires was on hand to launch the LaLiga Football Schools in New Delhi earlier this month.

Jose Cachaza, Managing Director, LaLiga India said, “Kerala has been one of the frontrunners in the country when it comes to their love for football. It is with immense joy that we are launching the LaLiga Football Schools in Thrissur for young kids over here to pursue their dreams and play football the LaLiga way. We hope our programme help them to realise their potential and make their country proud at a global platform in this sport.”

To kick-off the programme in Kerala, free workshops will be conducted by LaLiga at the Cooperation Stadium, Thrissur on the 27th & 28th of October.

The LaLiga Football Schools programme is just one of the many methods the best league in the world has connected with the Indian fans in recent times.

Another opportunity will come in the form of the El Clasico public viewing on October 28, at the East Bengal Ground, Maidan, Kolkata. The doors will open at 17:45 with plenty of pre-match activities taking place ahead of a 20:45 kick-off. LaLiga Ambassador and former Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman will be present in Kolkata to enjoy the biggest club rivalry in the world with Indian fans.