Player Story — Mai NGUYEN | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | September 2025
Player: Mai NGUYEN
Age at time of program: 16
Nationality: Vietnam
Home city: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Position: Central Midfielder (CM)
Program: Atlético de Madrid High Performance Training Camp
Period: September 2025
Previous level: Laliga Academy Vietnam, intermediate-level, 9 years of playing football
What came next: Continued training domestically before being selected to attend 10 days at La Masia and two weeks at Marcet.
When Mai Nguyen’s family booked a one-week place at the Atlético de Madrid Academy Individual Player Experience in September 2025, the journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Madrid was already the longest trip of the 17-year-old’s life. What they could not have anticipated was that this week, despite a delayed flight, a mild cold, and the shock of training at a completely new level of football, would become, in Mai Nguyen’s own words, “the key that opened the door to many important journeys in my life.”
The family travelled from Vietnam to Spain together, accompanying Mai Nguyen to the club on his first day. What they witnessed over the following week was a young player pushed further than he had ever been pushed before, and responding to that challenge with a resilience that surprised even himself.
The story did not end in Madrid. The Atlético de Madrid academy experience became the first step in a journey that led to a 10-day program at La Masia and a two-week training experience at Marcet Academy in Barcelona. For a 17-year-old from Vietnam with nine years of football behind him, one week at Atlético de Madrid changed everything that followed.
This is their story, shared by Mai Nguyen’s family with full permission, in their own words.
Mai Nguyen is a 17-year-old central midfielder from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He has been playing organised football for nine years, developing through the LaLiga Academy Vietnam — the official LaLiga development program operating in the country — at an intermediate level.
Growing up within the LaLiga Academy system gave Mai Nguyen something that would prove particularly valuable when he arrived in Spain: a genuine understanding of and appreciation for the Spanish approach to football. Long before he set foot in Madrid, he had been immersed in a footballing philosophy that prioritises game intelligence, decision-making, and tactical understanding over pure physicality.
Since returning from the Atlético de Madrid academy experience, Mai Nguyen has continued training domestically while taking on two significant development opportunities. He was selected for a 10-day experience at La Masia — FC Barcelona’s world-famous academy — and followed this with a two-week program at Marcet Academy in Barcelona during the summer of 2026. The Atlético week was the foundation on which all of this was built.
For a family based in Ho Chi Minh City, sending a 17-year-old to train in Spain for a week is not a straightforward decision. The journey alone, a long-haul flight from Vietnam to Madrid, represents a significant commitment of time, cost, and logistical planning. The family made it because they believed the opportunity justified every element of that commitment.
Mai Nguyen had spent nearly three years training at LaLiga Academy Vietnam and had developed a deep connection with the Spanish style of football. The family’s thinking was direct: if he had learned to love Spanish football through a LaLiga program in Vietnam, the natural next step was to experience that football in Spain itself.
“Spending a week living and training in such a prestigious and professional football environment in Spain was an unforgettable experience and exactly the kind of exposure we hoped Mai would have,” the family explains.
The choice of Atlético de Madrid specifically felt natural given this context. Atlético is one of the most respected clubs in world football — known not for extravagant spending or individual star power but for the values the family recognised from Mai Nguyen’s development in the LaLiga system: discipline, tactical intelligence, collective effort, and a fierce competitive mentality. For a central midfielder being developed in the LaLiga philosophy, it was the most authentic possible environment to test himself.
When the family began researching training opportunities in Spain, specifically looking for a short-term high performance camp at a professional club, Oxasport stood out as a trusted partner with direct access to elite programs at professional clubs. From their first interaction with the Oxasport team they felt that the communication was clear, responsive, and honest — factors that mattered significantly when making a decision of this importance from the other side of the world. Oxasport guided the family through the full application process — from the initial enquiry and program selection to coordinating with the Academy for logistics and ensuring everything was in place before Mai Nguyen’s departure from Ho Chi Minh City.
Families considering a similar short-term experience can find full details of the Atlético de Madrid Individual Formative Program on the Oxasport website.
Even the most well-prepared families encounter moments before departure when the uncertainty feels overwhelming. For the Nguyen family, travelling from Vietnam to Spain with a 17-year-old for a one-week football program came with a specific set of anxieties — and in the days before the trip, several of them materialised simultaneously.
“This was our son’s first trip to Spain, and traveling from Vietnam is a very long journey,” the family recalls. “Since the program took place during his short school holiday, we had limited time to prepare, which made the whole process feel quite rushed. Naturally, we were worried about almost everything.”
Then things got harder. Mai Nguyen caught a mild cold just before departure. The flight was significantly delayed in Germany, meaning he arrived at the club much later than planned. For a family travelling from Vietnam with limited time and a compressed schedule, these were not small inconveniences.
“At that moment, it felt as though everything that could go wrong was happening,” the family says.
What turned the situation around was the response on arrival. From the moment Mai Nguyen reached the Atlético facilities — despite the delay and the difficult journey — the coaches and other players in the program welcomed him warmly and made every effort to help him settle in. The anxiety of the journey dissolved quickly once he was inside the environment.
For families reading this who are nervous about the logistics of a long-haul journey to a first-time program in Spain: the family’s advice is to prepare your child as thoroughly as possible — physically and mentally — and to trust that the professional environment on the other end will take care of the rest.
The Nguyen family travelled to the club together on the first day, which meant they could see for themselves what the Atlético de Madrid academy environment actually looked like. Their first impression was immediate and clear.
“From the moment we arrived, the accommodation was excellent, and everything was well organised, including the daily transportation between the residence and the training facilities. Our first impression of Atlético de Madrid’s training complex was how professional everything was.”
Mai Nguyen’s first session was a one-on-one individual training session in the morning. The intensity was higher than anything he had experienced in Vietnam, but the coach was patient and encouraging, and because the session was conducted in English, communication was smooth. It was a measured introduction to the environment — demanding but manageable.
The afternoon session was different. Joining the group training for the first time, Mai Nguyen encountered the full reality of what training at this level means.
“The speed and intensity of play were unlike anything he had experienced before,” the family recalls. “Although the coaches gave instructions in Spanish, making it difficult for him to fully understand the tactical details, his teammates were incredibly supportive and helped him follow the drills and settle into the group.”
After the session, completely exhausted and barely able to speak, Mai Nguyen came back to his family and said: “I can’t breathe anymore… I’m dying!”
It was the moment the family knew something significant had happened. Despite the delayed arrival, the cold, the language barrier, and the physical shock of the training intensity — he was already excited to come back the next day.
For any family considering the Atlético de Madrid academy experience, the most important question is a practical one: what specifically will my child encounter that they cannot encounter at home? For the Nguyen family, the answer came through clearly across every training session of the week.
“The biggest difference Mai noticed was the overall level of football. The players trained at a much higher intensity, and every session demanded complete focus, quick decision-making, and constant movement.”
Having developed through the LaLiga Academy system in Vietnam, Mai Nguyen was not unfamiliar with Spanish football methodology. But experiencing that methodology at its source — inside an actual professional club environment in Madrid — revealed a gap between theory and practice that no academy program outside Spain can fully close.
The tactical dimension was the most striking difference. “Every exercise had a clear purpose, and the emphasis was not only on technical ability but also on reading the game, making the right decisions under pressure, and working as a team.” This was not football training focused on physical fitness or repetitive technical drills. Every session had an objective, every exercise a tactical context, and every mistake became an opportunity for specific, individual coaching.
The professionalism of the entire environment also left a deep impression. From the organisation of training sessions to the coaches’ attention to detail, from the quality of the facilities to the structure of the daily schedule — everything reflected a club that operates to a standard that is simply not replicable outside the elite professional football world.
“It showed Mai what a true professional football development pathway looks like and gave him a much clearer understanding of the level he hopes to reach in the future.”
There is usually one moment in a development experience like this that crystallises everything — a moment that the player carries with them long after returning home. For Mai Nguyen, it came not on the training pitch but on the sidelines, during the final group training day of the week.
After the accumulated demands of the previous sessions, Mai Nguyen was physically exhausted and unable to train. He had to sit out and watch from the sidelines — a frustrating position for any competitive young footballer at the end of an intense week.
What happened next was not about football. His teammates — players he had known for only a few days, from different countries and backgrounds — came over repeatedly to check on him, ask how he was feeling, and make sure he was okay.
“As a boy who had traveled from a country so far away and was still adapting to a completely new environment, those small acts of kindness made him feel genuinely welcomed and cared for,” the family recalls.
For a 17-year-old from Vietnam who had arrived exhausted and slightly unwell into an unfamiliar environment, the warmth of that response was more formative than any training session could have been. It told him something about the kind of community professional football creates — and about what it means to be part of an international group of players united by a shared ambition.
The week ended with a visit to the Atlético de Madrid stadium — a final gift to the group that gave the entire experience a sense of occasion and conclusion. Walking through one of European football’s most iconic venues was, as the family puts it, “a perfect way to end an incredible week” and a memory Mai Nguyen will carry with him for a long time.
Understanding the Atlético de Madrid academy experience means understanding more than just the football. The daily structure of the program — the residence, the meals, the routine, the relationships formed outside of training — is part of what makes a week like this different from any coaching clinic or summer camp.
Mai Nguyen stayed at Atlético de Madrid’s academy residence throughout the week, sharing daily life and meals with the other players in the program. Daily transport between the residence and the training facilities was organised and managed by the program — a detail the family noted as being particularly well handled given the distances involved.
Living alongside players from different countries gave Mai Nguyen something that football alone cannot provide: genuine exposure to different cultures, different backgrounds, and different ways of understanding and loving the game. “Living alongside players from different backgrounds also helped him make new friends and experience different cultures, making the week even more meaningful beyond football.”
For the Nguyen family, who accompanied Mai to Spain, the time outside the training sessions was also valuable. Madrid offered them an opportunity to explore a city full of history, culture, and character — a reminder that these programs are an experience for the whole family, not only for the player.
The most telling measure of any development program is not what happens during it but what happens in the months that follow. For Mai Nguyen, the impact of the Atlético de Madrid academy experience became visible almost immediately upon his return to Vietnam — and continued to shape his trajectory in the year that followed.
“Although the program lasted only one week, it had a lasting impact on Mai. The experience helped him realize just how big the gap was between his current level and the standards of a truly professional football environment.”
That recognition did not discourage him. It did the opposite. “When he returned home, we noticed a clear change in his attitude. He became more disciplined, trained with greater commitment, and showed even more enthusiasm every day. Rather than feeling discouraged by the level he experienced, he came back feeling motivated to improve.”
One concrete outcome came quickly. Back with his school team in Vietnam, Mai Nguyen brought with him the experience, confidence, and standards of the Atlético week — and the team went on to win the VinOlympic championship.
The week also ignited something beyond football. “Mai developed a genuine desire to learn Spanish so that one day he can better understand the coaches, communicate more naturally with teammates, and immerse himself more deeply in the football culture of Spain.”
Most significantly, the Atlético experience directly prepared him for what came next. He was subsequently selected for a 10-day program at La Masia — one of the most prestigious football academies in the world. He was able to adapt far more quickly than he would have otherwise because he was already familiar with the intensity, methodology, and culture of a Spanish professional football environment.
He continued this trajectory with a two-week program at Marcet Academy in Barcelona during the summer of 2026. The pathway that now stretches ahead of Mai Nguyen — from LaLiga Academy Vietnam to Atlético de Madrid to La Masia to Marcet — has its origin in that one week in September 2025.
“In many ways, Atlético de Madrid was the starting point that changed how Mai and our family viewed his football future. It helped him begin to imagine that pursuing a professional football pathway in Spain could be a real possibility, and many of the opportunities and ambitions that followed were partly inspired by that first experience.”
For parents who are where the Nguyen family was in the months before September 2025 — curious about these programs, uncertain about the logistics, nervous about sending their child into an elite environment from the other side of the world — the family’s advice is both practical and direct.
“If your child has the ability, passion, and ambition to pursue football at a higher level, I would strongly encourage you to give them the opportunity to experience Atlético de Madrid’s program as early as possible.”
Their reasoning is grounded in what the week actually produced. “Nothing compares to seeing and experiencing a professional football environment firsthand. The week will give your child a much clearer understanding of the level, the demands, and the mindset required to succeed. It will also help your family make more informed decisions about the next steps in your child’s football journey.”
The practical advice is equally specific: prepare your child as thoroughly as possible before they leave — physically and mentally. Arrive healthy and fit. Help them understand that the program will challenge them in ways they have not experienced before, and that the moments of discomfort are where the most valuable learning happens.
“Encourage them to embrace those challenges rather than fear them. The more open they are to pushing their limits, the more they will learn, grow, and benefit from the experience. In the end, those challenges become the most valuable part of the journey.”
And for families who wonder whether the program is valuable even for players who may not ultimately pursue a professional career: “Whether your child ultimately chooses to pursue a professional career or not, the experience itself is invaluable. The lessons, confidence, friendships, and perspective they gain will stay with them long after the program ends.”
When asked to describe the experience, Mai Nguyen did not reach for football statistics or technical observations. He reached for something larger.
“This was my first trip to Spain, and it was the most challenging journey I had ever experienced. But it became the key that opened the door to many important journeys in my life and an endless source of inspiration for everything that followed.”
Mai Nguyen’s story was shared by his family with full permission. All quotes are the family’s own words.
If you are considering a short-term high performance experience or a full-year football boarding school program at Atlético de Madrid or another elite European club for your child, Oxasport guides families through every step of the process — from understanding which program is the right fit to managing the application and admissions process.
There is no cost to enquire and no obligation to proceed.
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