Asociación Alacrán 1997

In 2003, a group of friends set off with the intention of founding a football club in the Hortaleza neighbourhood of Madrid. However, like the reality that surrounded them, the team couldn’t escape the social and economic challenges.

With many of the players living below the poverty line, Asociación Alacrán 1997 was born to combat the violation of children’s rights and alleviate the effects of poverty. In Hortaleza, young people are continually faced by a future offering limited opportunities; where high unemployment rates are compounded by incoming migration that is perceived as negative. In addition, there is a lack of safe spaces to play and educational support.

Asociación Alacrán pursues a holistic approach, offering educational, social and football programmes for the children and young people in the neighbourhood. The football programme focuses on providing equal opportunities to everyone, improving the participants' capacities and attitudes and helping them to become active, responsible and leading citizens. By using football as a tool, the main goal is to foster personal development among participants.