ISL restarted its events and sports traveling operations by hosting the Barcelona Soccer Experience after nearly two years of inactivity prompted by the Covid-19 outbreak.
On the ISL team’s return, 60 players and 90 families from all over the USA participated in a 9-day amazing experience in the stunning and sunny Barcelona; getting the opportunity to compete against other teams while receiving training from Barça Academy’s official instructors at FC Barcelona facilities.
As always, ISL arranged recreational and cultural experiences for players and their families to learn about the historical city. The visitor parties also enjoyed 2 LaLiga games featuring Barça and Espanyol, the two top teams in Catalunya, as well as a private tour of Camp Nou.
And who better to encourage these kids than a professional football player that started his career playing at the Barça schools just like them? One of the major highlights of this trip was when Eric García, a member of FC Barcelona’s team, unexpectedly paid the players a visit after a training session at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The 20-year-old center-back inspired the kids while posing for selfies with them.
According to Achille Obougou, Director of Travel Management, “The Covid-19 restrictions forced us to take a little pause but we never stopped working because we knew we’d come back stronger and we wanted to be ready for when the time came. We planned ahead of time and we are now delighted to say that our first event was a total success”. Then he added, “The smiles on our players’ faces and the encouraging feedback from their families are what kept us going and what we will keep working for every day.”
ISL has 20 sporting events scheduled across 5 different venues for this season. On that note, our team has been working hard to provide the best travel experiences, always putting the safety of the players and their families first.
Stay tuned to find out more about the best international soccer experiences! @team_isl