India U-17 boys begin Spain tour with match against Atletico de Madrid U-17

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The India U-17 boys' national football team is all set for an opportunity of a lifetime as it gets ready to take on the U-17 side of top club Atletico de Madrid at the Alcala De Henares in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday.

The India U-17s are preparing for the upcoming AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand later this year, and are on a tour of Spain where they will play the age group teams of some of the top Spanish clubs.

Head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, "The boys are very excited to be here, training in this kind of environment and facilities. They have adapted quickly to the conditions and have been working hard, and we are getting better as a team."

According to information reaching here on Tuesday, the upcoming match against Atletico de Madrid U-17 will be a challenging affair, though Fernandes maintained that the team has its eyes squarely focused on getting up to the proper level to compete in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup.

"We are well aware of the level of quality and game insight of the teams we are set to play here. At the same time, we are preparing ourselves the way we want to play in AFC keeping in mind the teams in our group stages," said Fernandes.

India have been drawn into Group D for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup, alongside the likes of Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Japan. They will face Vietnam on June 17, Uzbekistan on June 20 and Japan on June 23, with the matches set to be played in Pathum Thani and Bangkok, Thailand.

The Blue Cubs have been training in Madrid, at Atletico de Madrid's facilities over the last week, and have also had the opportunity to watch the La Liga match between Atletico and Almeria (2-1). Fernandes feels that it is an excellent opportunity for the young boys and the staff to experience such facilities in Spain, an experience that would come in handy later on.

"This is a rare opportunity for not only the boys, but also for us, the staff, and we thank the AIFF for organising these matches for us. Over the last week, we have had several interactions with the Atletico coaches where they have explained to us their methods and the values of the club," said Fernandes.

"All this has helped change our thinking and approach in every training session. It has also motivated our boys and we all are looking forward eagerly to this test," he said.

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