Keeping It Up: The Mosslands School’s Football Tour to Barcelona

Action-Packed Football Days

To focus your tour around football, playing the game almost every day is a must.

Which is what we helped Mosslands do, by building them a football-packed 5-day itinerary.

Tuesday saw early afternoon pro led training sessions with junior coaches at RCD Espanyol. Then after travelling to the local side, L’Hospitalet, had a couple of hours self-led warm-up followed by matches against the club.

Wednesday saw professional coaching sessions in the morning and afternoon.

Whereas Thursday included self-led training on a hired Espanyol training pitch, pro sessions and more matches against local opposition—this time it was Montmelo.

6 Matches for over 40 students!

Mossland’s group included 43 students spread over 3 teams. Each team got two fixtures each with hospitality included—one at L’Hospitalet and one at Montmelo.

Mosslands played three matches at each club. One for the year 8’s, 9’s and a mix of both year groups.

And whilst one team enjoyed healthy competition, the rest of the students from the school not playing gelled with local squad players in the stands.

Where despite the different languages, students chatted about classic football matches, the teams they supported and even upped the volume with some friendly chanting between the sides.

There were even a good number of Montmelo fans too as the locals came along to watch.

Awesome Standard of Facilities

All three Spanish sides delivered quality set-ups for Mosslands.

Montmelo — despite being an amateur side—dished out stands and quality artificial playing surfaces.

L’Hospitalet boosted the standard even further with a virtual semi-pro stadium and pitch. The 3 teams from Mosslands played in the very same stadium that the 2010/11 FC Barcelona squad competed for the Spanish cup with Pep Guardiola at the helm.

‘The facilities at both places were brilliant’ – Tom Kershaw

And pro coaching led sessions were at Espanyol’s training grounds Cuidad Deportiva Dani Jarque, which is La Liga standard and where Spanish Cup games have been played.

Pro Coaching at RCD Espanyol

Pro training was led by good-natured, knowledgeable coaches from RCD Espanyol who got on like a dream with the students.

Drills included quick attack v defence situations which gave students chances to hone their skills against 1,2 or 3 opposing players.

With some sessions seeing training next to the pro side.

‘The coaching standard was exceptional, the facilities – how often do you get the chance to train next to the [RCD Espanyol] first team?’ – said Mr Kershaw.

Pitch Hire and Self-Led Training

When away from football practises led by professional coaches, Mosslands enjoyed self-led sessions on a state-of-the-art pitch.

They had time to cement skills learned in pro coaching sessions, prep for upcoming matches and even played 7-a-side matches including students, staff and our Tour Guides on a Cuidad Deportiva Dani Jarque pitch.

FC Barcelona Nou Camp Stadium Tour

A school football trip to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without a tour of the Nou Camp Stadium.

Mosslands enjoyed a tour around the world-renowned home of the 5-time Champions League winners.

They walked out on to the pitch, sat in the players’ dug-out seats, went to the 1st tier, 2nd tier, 4th tier, saw the media area and Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Ors and Barcelona team trophies in the club museum.

Free Time to Soak in Barcelona

Last, but by no means least, was the free time and planned excursions.

To give the students a footballing breather, the itinerary included slots to soak in Catalonian culture and history, like a guided walking tour around the Gothic Quarter and free time seeing La Rambla and La Sagrada Familia.

There was bowling too! Where students struck up bonds even further.

Lifetime Memories from the Power of Football

It’s often said football brings people together from all over the world, whether they speak the same language or not.

Playing with two local sides encouraged Mosslands students to craft new relationships with players of a similar age in a new, exciting culture.

Students mingled in the stands, chatted about teams they supported, gave a bit of banter over classic matches, even connected on social media—despite the language barrier.

The Mossland’s School Full Itinerary

It was quite the week and to give you a fuller picture, here’s a run through of the jam-packed nature of the trip schedule, from touch-down to flying home: