“We educate people and train footballers” is the VCF Academy motto, and instilling values in the young talents at the club is one of the aims of the #AcademiaEnComunidad project. In it, a series of social actions will be undertaken involving the VCF Academy teams, in collaboration with the VCF Foundation and different entities around the Valencia region.

The first of these took place in October, with members of the VCF Juvenil A squad visiting the Modepran animal refuge. The action was organised in collaboration with Sailun Tyre, the VCF Academy’s main sponsor.

The players got the opportunity to meet the animals housed in the refuge, including the close to 100 dogs that receive the attention and care of Modepran staff and the 60 volunteers. Daily tasks include feeding and walking the animals, as well as cleaning the facility, and the VCF Juvenil A representatives rolled up their sleeves to participate.

“It's been a great experience,” said Rubén Iranzo, the team captain.

“A lot of my teammates didn't really know about how animal refuges work. It's helped us to become more aware of this social aspect. We've been able to meet some dogs and spend the day with them. That's been really fun. For people like me, who have dogs, these types of trips and experiences help you to reflect even more on the importance that this has.”

Beatriz Cortina, director of Modepran in Valencia, expressed her pleasure at welcoming the VCF Academy team to the refuge.

“We're delighted, because this helps to give a lot of visibility to the refuge and, above all, to the problem of abandoned dogs in Valencia,” she told VCF Media.

“To start with they were a little reserved, which is normal, but then they started to participate more and ask questions. I think that they were interested and that they enjoyed the experience. We're delighted to have these types of visits, because it gives us a lot of visibility. That can mean people adopt dogs, collaborate with us or become volunteers. There are many ways of helping.”

At the end of the visit, VCF Academy director Sean Bai and Iranzo gifted a signed shirt to Modepran with the name of the refuge on the back, as well as other souvenirs on behalf of the VCF Foundation.

“These types of actions form part of a project that is more focused on the players’ personal development,” explains Sergio Ventosa, coordinator of the VCF Academy. “These experiences help them to see that part of life that isn’t football.”