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For the Love of Futbol

TLDR: An Australian mom recounts her journey moving from Bali to Valencia, Spain, for her soccer-loving son’s dream of becoming a player. Despite bureaucratic hurdles, the family settled into a new life, with the son improving both his soccer and Spanish skills. Through patience and persistence, he trained with a local club and learned that soccer is about more than just playing—it’s about teamwork and growth. Ultimately, the experience helped him realize that his future might lie in guiding the next generation of soccer stars, even if he doesn't become the next Neymar.

 

The Full Story:

Have you ever found yourself wondering, “Why did I let my child convince me to do that?” I’ve asked myself this question many times over the past six years.


My little Neymar wannabe (NW—that's what I called him at the time), like most young boys living in Bali, dreamed of becoming a superstar soccer player. I was homeschooling him then, so he was fortunate enough to travel to various soccer clinics around the region. It was at one of these Real Madrid clinics that a seed was planted in his little brain.


In 2017, we made plans to move to Spain the following year. We enlisted the help of a relocation company to assist with the logistics of finding a school and a home. Little did we know, that would turn out to be the easy part of our move.


We chose Valencia for its international airport, its location by the sea, and from all accounts, it was a safe place to live—and did I mention the fresh orange juice?


In late 2018, we were granted our non-lucrative visas, and with six suitcases in hand, we took the bold step of landing in Barcelona and catching a BlaBlaCar from Sitges to Valencia. With no Spanish between us, I relied on my 10-year-old, who knew just enough, to speak with the driver and make sure we got to our destination.


A word of advice for those with young children: plan ahead. We arrived on a Sunday during siesta, and NOTHING was open to feed the child. Things are changing in Valencia with the influx of immigrants choosing to call it home, but if you settle in a smaller village or town, make sure you pack snacks.



We found a home and a school, and since our lifestyle change was all about soccer—or "futbol" as it's called here—we needed to find a club for NW. We visited several clubs, from community teams to more established, well-known clubs, and settled on one close to home. We were looking for a club focused on developing our son’s skills, not just using him as a player. The club we chose ticked all the boxes.

With the help of our relocation agent, we started the registration process. Let me emphasize: it's a process.


Joining the club was the easy part—getting him registered to play was the real challenge.


As with all things bureaucratic in Spain, it took a lot of time, paperwork, and most importantly, patience.

We had to provide a marriage certificate, our child’s birth certificate, copies of his passport and identity card, a padrón (a document verifying where we were living), bank statements to prove we had sufficient funds, statements from both my husband and me confirming we were not profiting from our son playing futbol, and even a statement from NW himself, saying he was playing for his own enjoyment. All these documents needed to be translated into Spanish. At the time, we were also supposed to provide a bank guarantee, but luckily we didn’t have to.


Once everything was submitted to the club, it became a waiting game.


NW was allowed to train with the club and play in friendly matches, but until his registration came through, he couldn’t participate in competitive games. For us, it took over two months, but we’d heard of others waiting six months to a year, and one family even waited over 18 months before giving up and leaving. Patience is key, as well as encouraging your child to keep attending training sessions even if they can’t play competitive games until federated.


Through the club, our son not only improved his futbol skills but also became proficient in Spanish within a year. He made lots of good friends and was mentored by some of the club’s top coaches. One of these was an incredible Uruguayan coach named Emilio da Silva. Emilio taught NW that futbol isn’t just about playing the game; it’s about understanding that the game is made up of many components, and everyone involved plays a part in ensuring the team’s success.


Moving to Valencia helped our son realize that while he might not become the next Neymar, he could be the next Florentino Pérez, Pep Guardiola, or even Emilio da Silva—guiding the next generation of soccer stars. ¡Amunt Valencia!

 

By Polyn Bungalay-Helwend

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