"Valencia CF is a school with principles. If young players get used to enjoying the perks of the first team, they will never develop the necessary mindset of being demanding with oneself that is so crucial for breaking into the senior squad. It’s a small detail, but as a reserve team player, your gear is managed by the staff, while the academy kids must take care of their own equipment because they’re children playing soccer, not professionals." In an article by the French magazine So Foot Club on the Paterna training center, which was inaugurated in 1992, former academy director Luis Vicente Mateo reflected on the rules that have made it one of the best development centers in Spain. Ferran Torres, David Silva, Isco, Jordi Alba, and Juan Bernat are just some of the standout players who have come through this elite academy, which boasts a unique characteristic: more than 90% of its players come from the Valencian Community.
Brief
27 international players have passed through La Paterna, FC Valencia's training centre / ©ValenciaCF