FC Tokyo U-18 is conducting a Spain-Portugal expedition from April 3 (Mon) to April 12 (Wed). Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, this will be the first overseas expedition for the academy in about 4 years.

On the first day of the expedition, April 3rd (Monday), we departed from Narita International Airport and arrived at Istanbul Airport in Turkey after approximately 12 hours. After that, we traveled for 4 and a half hours to Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain.

 

Afterwards, we took a taxi from the airport and arrived at a hotel in Madrid city, which was about a 5-minute distance. We arrived at around 23:00 local time on the third day (Monday). The players rested in their rooms to prepare for the next day's travel, and the first day came to an end.

※Photo taken just before arrival at Madrid-Barajas Airport

On the second day of the expedition, we checked out of the hotel early in the morning and took a flight from Madrid Barajas Airport to Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport in Portugal, which took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. From the airport, we took a bus to the hotel where we stayed in Lisbon. The travel time was about 30 minutes, but we enjoyed the cityscape of Lisbon while traveling.

 

In the afternoon, we borrowed a local club's ground within walking distance from our hotel and conducted training. As the long-distance travel continued, the players trained for the third day of the expedition, checking their own condition, in preparation for the upcoming match.

Even after the third day of the expedition, we will continue to not only focus on the soccer aspect, but also experience growth through travel, local climate, meals, culture, and interactions with many people.