The impact of the Las Palmas academy on the international stage has pleased everyone at the club. Club general manager Patricio Viñayo highly praised three Yellows players who were selected for various Spanish youth national teams at the LaLiga FC Futures presentation: Juanma Herzog and Valentín Pezzolesi for the U21s, and Rafa Cruz for the U17s, who will participate in the U17 World Cup in Qatar.
"It's a source of pride because it once again demonstrates and confirms the results of our youth academy work. These players have entered the ranks of top players."
He added that this achievement is even more remarkable due to the caliber of the teams involved: the Spanish national team is the reigning senior World Cup champion and a benchmark in various youth categories. "This must be emphasized repeatedly, because we seem to have gotten used to it: we're not talking about ordinary lower-level national teams, but the Spanish national teams at all levels. Both men's and women's teams have won World Cups and maintain the highest level across different age groups, even in World Cups. The most recent was the U15 World Cup."
Las Palmas, whether in LaLiga or Segunda División, has always been a stable cradle for talent, having developed and produced players of the caliber of Xavi Viera and Joaquín Carlos Valerón, and more recently, world champions Pedri and Yeremy Pino.
Through thick and thin, the youth academy always delivers. Viñayo believes this is precisely the club's hallmark and confidence: "Think about what it means for the club to have several players selected for various youth national teams simultaneously, even when the club was in Segunda División."