‘Education is forever’

Before training in Barcelona, Milosz Fernández had already played in the lower categories of Atlas and Pumas, two elite teams of Mexican football. Nevertheless, while at these teams he never got to play an official match. “As I was born in the US I could only play in friendlies”, explains the Mexican striker. “It was for this reason that I decided to come to Marcet, to get more match-play”.

Milosz joined the High Performance Academy at the beginning of the 2018-19 season. From square one he knew his priority, other than football, was his studies. “In sport you can get injured or there can be other circumstances out of your control which won’t allow you to keep with your objectives. But education is something that no one can take away from you. It’s forever”.

During the first few months of his time in Barcelona, Milosz successfully completed his pre-university studies and even obtained his Level 1 and 2 Sports Technician in Football certificates. And not only this, neither training sessions nor matches got in the way of him thinking of his future and preparing for what was to come. “I always wanted to attend University. It’s something my parents instilled in me. As football is my passion, my goal has always been to combine my studies with this sport”.

“IN BARCELONA I have improved in my performance and have been able to obtain a scholarship in the USA”

What the Mexican forward understand well is that sports and academic training cannot only go hand in hand, but that they can reinforce each other. Especially in the United States, where being an athlete is a great advantage when it comes to accessing the best universities in the country. “During these months in Barcelona I have learned to play more intensively and competitively, and to think more about the playing field. Thanks to the opportunities Marcet has given me, I have improved in my performance and have been able to obtain an athletic scholarship in the USA”.

Next year Milosz will study Communication and Public Relations at the Macalester College, in Minnesota. And will also wear the kit of the Scots, the team of this College. The sport managers of the centre positively evaluated his candidacy after seeing his video-portfolio that Marcet made precisely for this purpose.

“This is a video that brings together my best moves during the entire league season,” explains the Mexican footballer. “It’s a very good tool to be able to show your level and is a huge help for getting financial aid. I sent my video-portfolio to Macalester and thankfully I received the scholarship. In Minnesota I will continue trying to improve day by day in the field. I still dream of playing professionally, but I also want to focus on my studies and finish my degree. In 4 years we’ll see what happens”.