EFC have over 30 elite footballers from the club’s development squad and as many travelling supporters to cheer the boys on throughout the life-changing experience for our young sportsmen.
The EFC squad faced local opposition AC Porto Salvo, FC Benfica, CF Trafaria and Seixal FC in the round-robin Lisbon Youth Cup tournament.
And following a day of competitive matches, the EFC squad travelled to Primeira Liga league leaders Benfica’s state-of-the-art training facilities where they were given a private coaching session by the club’s academy coaches.
It was a first-class experience for players, us as coaches and parents to get a real insight into how the club develop their players, using the philosophy that has nurtured some of Europe’s finest talents in the past.
The trip has proven to be invaluable for emerging football stars.
The EFC squads will return on Wednesday for another coaching masterclass, which will then be followed by games against the Sporting Lisbon Youth Academy – the place where a certain Cristiano Ronaldo developed his game before being snapped up by Manchester United.
This will undoubtedly be an experience of a lifetime for these youngsters and will inspire them to continue to catapult their game to the next level.
The remainder of the trip will further expose the squads to further coaching time with Benfica, more competitive games and a lot more cultural education from an historic European city.