The Real Betis Cadete A coach, Miguel Angel Caro, in an interview for www.realbetisbalompie.es assessed the experience gained during the team's participation in the Premier League International U16 Tournament 2013 which took place last weekend on English soil, in the city of Coventry.

 

How was the experience in the tournament?

It has been very positive. We played against teams that really put us to the test, we encountered different playing styles to those we usually find in our League, and of course playing on real turf... This type tournaments help us to grow in the future and increase the competitive level of the squad.

 

What has been the most positive aspect for the players?

The most important thing they have gained is mixing with their peers. Being away from home together for several days, sharing thoughts, analysing rivals and going over the failures of previous matches. It makes them stronger and improves the team spirit.

From a sporting point of view we suffered against teams who were older and physically stronger, which has forced us to play at the highest competitive level, to improve in every game. Also it helped us to correct situations that we don't come up against in our League. It was a new learning experience that I hope will be very beneficial for us in the forthcoming league fixtures.

 

In sporting terms, how was the team in the competition?

The team went out to win every game. It didn't matter who the opponent was. We tried to introduce our style of play in each match, where the ball is most important. We weren't lucky from a scoring point of view, but the players made the most of their chances so we can't complain at that. There is no motive to blame these kids. We had the opportunity to switch off from the League for a weekend and enjoy this great football event, learn from the experience and polish up defects so we can become better players in the future.

 

How will this experience help the training of the players?

When you play against physically stronger players than yourself, you need a greater concentration in defence, if you give them any room at all the next thing you will see is the number on the back of their shirt. We are talking about 15-year-old kids who have a lot of sporting demands placed on them.

From an offensive point of view, when our team was in possession of the ball they had to significantly increase the pace of the game in order to avoid physical contact with the rival. The need for quick thinking and decision making has improved the players' speed of execution coupled with a requirement for greater precision in passing. These two aspects are very important in terms of the evolution of these kids as players.

 

What do you think of the academy players from the Premier League and the guests from other countries?

The Premier League teams are very strong physically; they are vertical with wingers who play very deep and powerful centre forwards with effective scoring ability. They are changing their style of play because they are starting to play from behind, but always vertically. In relation to the other teams, Real Madrid and Ajax are teams with individuals who have great technical quality who need to have possession of the ball to make use of very creative players. Olympique de Marseille is similar to the Premier League teams, with very strong and physically powerful players.

 

Which team surprised you most?

The one that surprised me was Chelsea, ,they are physically strong with a very reliable defence, a hard working midfield and destabilizing players up front. They are very powerful team. In the final against Real Madrid they were clearly superior. And another team that surprised us was Everton. It has a very similar style of play to ours, with players who are technically very good, with good tactical concepts and a desire to play brave and daring football.

 

What treatment did the players get from the English clubs?

From what we have seen, this tournament is very professional. They are addicted to statistics and match analysis. They have incorporated a lot of technology at an academy level.

 

After this tournament, what do you expect from the team in their own league?

The most important thing is to continue the positive momentum we have, that the kids continue to grow and improve; then, at the end of the season, we can be proud to say that we have a good squad for the National Youth League, formed in its majority by players from Cadete A.