Process

Development football is all about the learning process. Young players honing their skills in an enjoyable environment. Many argue that the grassroots game at this stage (Particularly in the UK) is flooded with glory hunting managers & parents wanting the win.

The refinement of the professional level supposedly washes aside the 'win at all costs'; instead, the mantra is the bigger picture. Performance first, the result will take care of its self.

When that result is a 31 - 0 win (with 7 out of the squad of 10 scoring), that post-match debrief will be interesting.

Real Madrid's U9's put a host of goals past SAD Villaverde San Andres with no reply.

How do you play this one out? Well, the defeated team complained across social media. The main gripe was elite clubs should have a strategy to prevent such scorelines happening.

Why so? If the goals were the end product of cohesive, technical skill repeatedly applied by a team, is that a problem? The answer, probably no, but at 8 or 9 years old, the enjoyment element is undoubtedly going to be one-sided.

Is it Real Madrid's fault, or is it the Spanish Federations problem for a need to restructure how youth football is played?

REFLECT: Winning & Losing are both important lessons in football

The Sack

In June 2017 a result of the same magnitude saw CD Serranos U11's (From Valencia) beat Benicalap C 25-0. The winning team's coach was fired! The club's hierarchy said. "We encourage respect for the rival". "He (the coach) didn't manage the situation well."

That intention of sportsmanship can be muted by overbearing parents wanting their kids to be winners. An official from the Valencia Football Federation stated: "When we make a list of goal-scorers, we get calls from parents saying that their son scored four, not three." So, the grassroots landscape is no different in Spain; it would seem.

MORE THAN A CLUB: Barcelona FC values are instilled at all levels

Do The Right Thing

It's suggested the top Spanish teams have an unwritten law based on humility. Youth teams, like Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Betis or Sociedad, suggest the score stops when a 10 goal difference presents, with the stronger team easing off.

CD Serranos had adopted a similar attitude to what the teams coming out of Barcelona's La Masia do. They'll move players into unfamiliar positions, play with the weaker foot only or up tiki-taka possession to keep the game competitive. Even Spanish junior coaches argue, "you can't tell players not to score."

To be fair to Real Madrid, after their rugby result, they didn't publish the scoreline, Just a "Won league game against Villerverde" was put out.