India U-17 football team cap off Spain tour with Atletico Madrid U-18 clash

The Blue colts will look to recover from defeat to Getafe U-18.

The India U-17 Men’s National Team will look to end their camp in Spain on a high, as they prepare to face Atletico de Madrid U-18 in their sixth and final training game, at the Alcala De Henares, on Friday, May 12, 2023.

The Blue Colts have played five preparatory games in Spain, against Atletico de Madrid U-17s (4-1), CD Leganes U-18s (0-2), Atletico de Madrid U-16s (2-1), Real Madrid U-17s (3-3), and Getafe U-18 (1-3).

After a string of decent results, the team lost to Getafe U-18s 1-3 in their last game.  They will play one last training game against Atletico de Madrid U-18s in the Iberian Peninsula, before travelling to Germany.

Bibiano Fernandes's pre-match thoughts

Head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, “We’ve had a lot of positives and a lot of good results here in Spain, and I am sure the last match against Atletico Madrid U-18s will also be a good experience for the boys. The match against Getafe was a tough one as the boys had to deal with a lot of physical players in the game. But it’s matches like these that you really learn from, and we have been stressing these lessons on the boys after the game.

“Wins and losses are a part and parcel of football, and as a footballer, you tend to learn more from the losses. So we will take this one in our stride and strive to dish out a better performance against Atletico in our last game here,” he said.

Preparations for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup

The India U-17s are on a preparatory path for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup. Placed in Group D they will play Vietnam (June 17), Uzbekistan (June 20), and Japan (June 23) in Pathum Thani and Bangkok.

“The preparations have been really good so far. We still have some way to go in the coming month, but playing quality teams in practice matches has been extremely helpful for the boys. I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Atletico de Madrid for being such gracious hosts,” said Fernandes.

India’s game against Atletico de Madrid U-18s will kick off at 5 pm IST on Friday, May 12, 2023