Torres and Guillamón take honourary kickoff at COTIF

Under-19s European Championships winners Ferran Torres and Hugo Guillamón received another homage this week for their exploits with Spain, as they attended the Torneo Internacional de Fútbol de l’Alcúdia (COTIF) youth tournament as special guests.

It was a familiar feeling for the pair to be amongst the 4,800 spectators in attendance at the Estadi Municipal 'Els Arcs', as they had previously played there during their formative years. They were invited to take the honourary kickoff before the game between Spain and Mauritania.

“It's an honour to be here. I've been lucky enough to have played in this tournament and it's very nice to be able to take the honourary kickoff. The COTIF is a tournament that stands out when you come here to play in it, as it's one of the most important preseason competitions," Torres told VCF Media. He had taken part in the COTIF Promeses 7-a-side event on two occasions with the VCF Academy.

Likewise, Guillamón also featured in the competition on two occasions with the Juvenil A team, reaching the final against Atletico Madrid in 2017.

“It's tremendously exciting to be invited to take the honourary kickoff, and to have so many people recognise the hard work that has been behind all of this. When you come here you know that you're going to compete against some big teams, and it was a great experience for me."

Fans approached the duo for autographs and photos as they watched the action, and asked them about their expectations for the season ahead.

“I'm 100% acclimatised to the team, I've spent a few days working and I'm very happy with how this season is looking. I'm coming into it with a lot of confidence and momentum after playing in the Under-19s European Championships," explained Torres, who has played his first minutes of preseason after a 20-day break. Guillamón, who recently joined up with VCF Mestalla for their preparations, is also ready for 2019/20 to get underway.

"I think that VCF Mestalla are going to have a great season. We've been working hard from the start, and this will be reflected in the results."