La Manga Club has become a centre of excellence for women's football this month (January) after four of Europe's top international teams headed to the luxury resort for warm weather training breaks.

Norway, ranked fourth in Europe, England (fifth), Netherlands (eighth) and Spain (ninth) all took the chance to work on their skills at the award-winning Murcian venue ahead of important World Cup qualifying matches coming up in the next three months.

They were joined at La Manga Club by Ireland's national squad and, as well being put through their paces in training, all five teams had the opportunity to enjoy some valuable match practice in a series of friendlies.

It was the first time that England's new head coach Mark Sampson had taken the charge of his 30-strong squad since replacing Hope Powell at the start of December, with the highlight of the six-day training break coming with a friendly against Norway, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The early-year camp at La Manga Club has become an established part of the England women's calendar and they are just one of the international teams to head to Spain's flagship resort this spring to make use of its world-class facilities - which include eight international standard grass pitches.

Germany's Borussia Dortmund undertook a mid-winter training break at the resort for the third successive year earlier this month as they continue their preparations for an assault on the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League.

Budding stars of the future from countries including Portugal, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Turkey Sweden and Slovakia will compete in international under-17 and under-19 tournaments in February, while an international girls' under-19 tournament featuring the likes of England, Scotland, Italy, Norway, Denmark, USA and Sweden will take place a month later.

La Manga Club has made a name for itself catering for the needs of the world's sporting elite, and last month Barcelona joined a list of clubs including Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and more than 60 other teams who have taken advantage of its five-star facilities in the last 12 months.

As well as its football training amenities, the resort boasts a fully-equipped gym and indoor swimming pool, ideal for recovery sessions; and a host of rooms and spaces to cater for tactical meetings, private team dining or any other requirements. 

Set in 1,400 acres, La Manga Club boasts unrivalled facilities as a sports and leisure destination including three 18-hole championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm spa and fitness centre. It also offers the choice of a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and townhouses and more than 20 bars and restaurants. 

For more information about professional sports breaks at La Manga Club, contact Chad Harpur on +34 968 33 1234, email chad.harpur@lamangaclub.com.
For further details about the resort and to book, phone +34 968 17 5577, email reservas@lamangaclub.com or visit www.lamangaclub.com.

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For more information on La Manga Club or images contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com 

La Manga Club - www.lamangaclub.com - is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.  

Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m2 Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars. 

As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain's flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.

La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has long been a staunch supporter of women's golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women's Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women's amateur events and teams.