Youth coaches from Villarreal went to Massanassa to help clear the debris after the storm in Valencia.

Villarreal CF have once more shown that Endavant is much more than a slogan, and that the Yellows are a big family. Coaches from the academy went to the town of Massanassa to help those affected by the flooding in the south of Valencia, which has left many streets full of floodwater, mud and debris.

The devastation has also affected players and coaches from the academy, with some living in the areas affected. One of the those most affected by the tragedy is a coach of one of the U10s teams. A coach who suffered first-hand the consequences of the bad weather, and whose colleagues at Villarreal have not left him alone.

More than 30 coaches turned up completely prepared to help their colleague with the clean-up work and provide emotional support at such a difficult time. With the necessary protection (goggles, mask and gloves), the Yellows’ volunteers left the José Manuel Llaneza Training Ground at 7am in a coach organised by the club. Once they arrived in Massanassa, they got down to work and helped clean more than 30 premises: ground-floor accommodation, garages and family businesses.

“It has been something that is really enriching. It says a lot about the human quality of the people who make up the club and the values we want to transmit,” says Adrián Tellez, a coach from the academy, and a resident of Benetússer, one of the towns that suffered the brunt of the effects of the flooding.

Despite being personally affected by the flooding, Téllez joined his other coaches and went to Massanassa, with the aim of being able to help as well in a town further away from Valencia and in need of volunteers, as the authorities had not yet arrived with cleaning teams. “It’s great to see colleagues giving their all in this way… It’s an examle for the players. They’re showing that they are more than just Villarreal coaches. They are people willing to help. It’s not all about football. There’s much more beyond football and that’s the first thing we instil in the players at this club.”

After six long hours of work, the academy coaches, before returning to Vila-real, donated the materal so that new groups of volunteers would have everything they needed to continue their work. Furthermore, VIllarreal CF’s medical team prepared several kits to donate medical equipment (gauze, bandages, dressings, masks, hydroalcoholic gel, disinfectant, etc) to the victims. The volunteers also took dozens of bars of chocolate to share with the residents of Massanassa and sweeten these bitter moments.