seven players from the football club SO Caillols, selected for the Barça Academy World Cup
Of the 16 players in the France team, seven little Marseillais from the Caillols football club are currently participating in the Barça Academy World Cup in Spain. A real pride for the club and for Marseille.
Their names are Noa, Ewan, Anthony, Ilane, Lucas, Mario, and Yanis. They are 13 years old. They are defiling the mythical lawn of the FC Barcelona training stadium.
A week of high-level football and competition for these passionate U14 licensees at the SOC, the Caillolais Olympic Sportthe club of this eponymous district of the 12th arrondissement of Marseille.
Seven Caillols players, selected to join Team France for the World Cup organized by the Barça Academy. Seven Marseilles out of the 16 who make up the France team. There is something to be proud of.
And they are, young footballers! Especially since it is the first time in the history of this tournament that France is taking part!
Mario has just played against Barcelona. His team won 4-0: I think we can go far in this tournament, but above all, we are super proud to represent Les Caillols, Marseille, and France!“
Every year the Barca Academy organize your world Cup. Players are selected from the show of stages held around the world. And few are the chosen ones. The Caillolais did their internship in Lyon, like many graduates from France.
“I received a message saying that I was selected. I did not expect it, because you have to be super good to come here“, enthuses Mario.
At present, these are the group stages, and the Marseillais hope to go far. But whatever the result, the experience is already unique, and represents a real springboard for these young people who dream of a professional career.
And it is not their coach who will say the opposite. Yahya Saihi surrounded the SO Caillols U14s for two years. It was he who decided to register his team for the course.
“I train them three times a week. It’s a very competitive team, capable of going all the way,” explains Yahya. Even if he concedes it, the level this week is “very high, all nations are represented, and there are different footballing cultures“.
Their selection, already, testifies to the quality of their training and their investment. Because it makes footballers grow the SOC! With 300 members, this prestigious club, created in 1939, gave birth to the careers of Eric Cantona, or even Jean Tigana.
Proud to represent France, Marseille, and this small district of Les Caillols, Yahya and his team will live an extraordinary adventure until Thursday, the day of the final. A sporting adventure, but above all collective.