Interview with Jesús Oliva, VCF Femenino Sporting Director

Women's grassroots football recently received full integration into the VCF Academy, bringing the teams to the Ciudad Deportiva and the advantages that working in the facilities provides, with resources and the possibility of being in direct contact with all departments.

The Sporting Director of VCF Femenino, Jesús Oliva, spoke to VCF Media about the first months at the VCF Academy.

"They want to be professional footballers, and are experiencing this at the heart of Valencia CF. For them, it's the best thing."

"In terms of women's football, the fact that they are training here at the VCF Academy -with all the professionals at the club and all of the resources available- represents a leap in quality for them," he says.
"Training at the Ciudad Deportiva, and having all of the departments at their disposal, is huge. Here at the VCF Academy, we don't talk about 'women's football.' We talk about teams and players. In the end, we are trying to train them and turn them into good professionals, as well as developing them as people," Oliva tells VCF Media.

"On the first few days there were a lot of nerves. The players didn't seem to be enjoying themselves, because they thought that they had to give a lot more. The days have gone by and the nerves have faded, and they are enjoying the way that they are playing. In the end, it's a different venue but it's their home. The most important thing is that we will see results.

"They are training next to the Puchades, which is where they aspire to play with the first team. In recent years, many players from the academy have got to the first team. They are an example to follow, and I think that they see the possibility as closer now."

"What we have to be clear about is that this is an academy. As an academy, the most important thing is to train players for the first team. It's very important, because in two or three years we're going to see a first team made up of homegrown players with a passion for the club. They will have been brought up as Valencianistas. I'm very excited, and so are those in charge. We are going to see some very important players on the national scene come through here," concludes Oliva.