The two La Academia players were in the starting-11 in a match in which Andalucía needed to overcome the initial goal by Extremeña’s Marcos. Echu equalised for the Blue and Whites, followed by an own goal from Jaime and another from Echu, to give Andalucía the title of Spanish champions in this category.
In the semi-finals, Andalucía defeated Cataluña in a penalty shoot-out. Both ‘Malaguistas’ took part in the game, with Echu substituted in the 64th minute by Carlos Alberto. Álex not only played for the entire 90 minutes, but also scored the first and penultimate penalty for Andalucía, which ended 11-12.
Málaga CF ‘Cadete’, Jose Luis Zalazar “Kuki”, took part in the first two stages of the under-16’s Spanish Championships, but was unable to play in the final stage in Ferrol, as he was part of the line-up for the return leg of the Copa del Rey with the academy’s ‘Juvenil’ boys.
