‘Now I’m more independent’

When he arrived at Marcet for the first time, Federico Pelaez encountered more than he bargained for. “In the beginning I thought it was a club like any other, maybe with better installations. But when I saw the whole technical team I realized I had just landed in an academy that could really help me improve in different ways”.

A few months after having started on his path in Marcet Professional Programme, Federico began noticing a change, “In that time I learned so much. I improved my technique, my tactical concepts, my whole way of playing in general. The experience also changed me on a personal level because it helped me mature. Living far away from my family, I became more independent”.

“THANKS TO MARCET I IMPROVED MY GAME, BUT IT also changed me on a personal level, it helped me mature”

Federico’s improvement did not go unnoticed back home. The left-footed centre-back, who is known for his dominance in the high game and for moving the ball forward, was called-up this spring for the lower categories of the Colombian National Team. It was a joy for him and his family who have always thought of him as “a very responsible and disciplined boy”.

The call surprised Federico during the final stages of the season at Marcet. The centre-back had to fly back to his country in order to train with the National Team, to then return once again to Barcelona to finish the formative cycle he had originally come for. He still had important international matches to play with his team against clubs such as Crystal Palace and Nàstic. It was the icing on the cake after some intense months of training in which Federico obtained one of the highest achievements a footballer could wish for.

“The news from the Colombian Federation first reached the ABC Academy, the Medellin club I’ve always played for”, remembers Federico. “The sporting director sent on the news accompanied by a motivational message in which he encouraged me to continue moving forward and to make the most of this amazing opportunity. They had already mentioned the possibility of this happening but I never thought it could come true”.