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WATCH: Astonishing behind the scenes documentary on U19 Winter Tournament

12 March 2019

At the end of January, Crystal Palace sent an Under-19 squad to Tel Aviv, Israel, where Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted their annual winter tournament.

While there, the young Palace side played five gruelling matches, battling twice in one day on two occasions.

Though they struggled to notch up points on the scoreboard, the Eagles fought valiantly as a team of 15, 16 and 17-year-olds facing-off against teams of 18 and 19-year-olds in challenging conditions on what was, for many, their first overseas tour.

Led by Academy Director Gary Issott and Under-16s manager Rob Quinn, the Academy squad put in hard shifts on the pitch and were given the chance to broaden their horizons away from it too, taking in the sites and culture of both Tel Aviv and wider Israel.

Palace Chairman Steve Parish joined the team on their tour, and he said while there that: "[The U19s can] challenge themselves football-wise, playing away in a different country. Long flight, early start - all the kind of things they’ll have to adapt to if they make it to the top of the game.

"On both levels, football and culturally, it’s an amazing place; a part of the world where there’s so much going on - so much historically and so much happening now. For a lot of the lads that we’ve brought, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity."

In our exclusive behind the scenes documentary, Palace TV followed the tournament, gaining access to changing room insight and revealing exactly how football at an often guarded level looks like, how coaches motivate and get the best out of their players and the thoughts and interests of the lads they work with.

The documentary also reveals the story of how the tournament came to be and presents previously unseen match footage that chronicles the progression of the side in Tel Aviv.

For a truly eye-catching, exclusive watch, click on the documentary below - you won't want to miss it.

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