Fuster: "A very good job is being done in Greece and Cyprus"

David Fuster has close ties to Greek football. It was there that he enjoyed the best years of his playing career, at Olympiakos, winning 6 league titles and 4 cups -as well as competing in the Champions League.

His connection to the country continues in the present day, in his role as Talent Manager at the VCF Academy. Valencia CF have several VCF Soccer Schools in Greece, which he oversees as well as following the fortunes of his former club from afar.

"A very good job is being done in Greece and Cyprus. VCF Academies are being created around the country," explains Fuster.

"The academies receive visits periodically and the coordinators are given training, so that the Valencia CF methodology is passed on. It gives players at those academies the chance to come here and play games, facing our VCF Academy teams. I think that's a very good thing."

The role is not without its challenges -especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We would like to be even closer to the players, and this situation impedes us from making our everyday work more beneficial.

"It's true that this situation is having a global effect on the entire planet, and that there are things that are much more important than football right now. The only thing we can do is make sure that each person does what they have to do, which is try to avoid contagions as much as possible. We hope that the situation gradually improves," says the former player.

"All of my memories of Greece are positive. I think that it was the period of my career that I enjoyed the most. It allowed me to play in big competitions like the Champions League. Above all, the memories I have are of the fans, and the affection I shared with them. It's what I took away from that country."

Now Fuster is in a new role, and relishes the chance to contribute to the success of the VCF Academy.

"I joined at the beginning of this 2020. I am responsible for the Talent Management of the VCF Academy players. The position of Talent Managee is not very common in Spain, but does exist at other European clubs. I was proposed the role by the Technical Director of the VCF Academy, Marco Otero. The idea is to help the kids to continue evolving, talk to them, analyse their strengths and the points they can improve, and do specific training sessions to work on technical issues that we can improve -always in coordination with the coaching staff of each team."