Pilar Alegría: “The U League marks a before and an after in the way of understanding the training of athletes in our country”

• The Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría, spoke on Tuesday at the presentation of the U League, the new competition that redefines the development of under-22 basketball in Spain.

• “With this project, Spanish sport makes a qualitative leap in a decisive stage,” said Pilar Alegría.

• The competition, organized jointly by the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) and the acb, has the support of the Ministry of Education, Professional Training and Sports which, through the Higher Sports Council (CSD), will contribute 15 million euros in three seasons.

Madrid, October 7, 2025.- The Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, Pilar Alegría, spoke today at the presentation of the U League, a new competition organized jointly by the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) and the Association of Basketball Clubs (acb), which since this season will offer young players an ideal ecosystem for their development.

This Friday, October 10, this project is officially premiered, with which Spanish basketball “makes a qualitative leap”, in the words of Minister Pilar Alegría, who has been accompanied at the event held in the Samaranch Room by the president of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes; the president of the FEB, Elisa Aguilar; and the president of acb, Antonio Martín.

Pilar Alegría has highlighted the common interest of all institutions “to find the formula that guarantees the protection and care of Spanish talent”, materialized in the launch of a competition that in its first season will bring together 15 teams of sub-22 category and that will have a pioneering approach by combining high sports performance with academic training.

“Today all the countries around us know that Spain cares for its quarry. But not only the sports race. Also, and perhaps most importantly, the academic training of young people such as Álex Moreno, Manuel Trujillo, Octavi Fuentes or Izan Almansa”, said the Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sports.

For her part, the president of the FEB, Elisa Aguilar, has highlighted the lace of the U League in the training chain. “Making the leap to professionalism has never been easy and now, with the hyper professionalism that exists in sport, it is much more difficult. That is why training is key to confirming the generational relay, which is being so important in our selections. And it’s necessary to turn training successes into minutes of play. That’s why the U League has arrived, which is also going to bring us closer to the young public through its social networks and dissemination through digital platforms,” he added.

Antonio Martín, for his part, recalled the importance of clubs when creating a “league of subsidiaries that will be key in training basketball”.

“They are part of this project and have believed in this competitive step so that players can enjoy the minutes they need. This competition is a reinforcement to the clubs’ quarries. Without them it would be impossible for us to create the U League and neither would training basketball be possible. So thank you to them for trusting and helping to create a competitive and attractive league for players and the public,” he said.

The president of the CSD, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, has referred to the U League “as an example of the good work of the FEB and the acb”. “The work of both institutions has had a constructive approach, with the will to contribute and create the missing link in Spanish basketball. A new competition that, in addition, fits with the philosophy of the CSD and the Government of Spain because it involves going hand in hand between academic training and sport,” he said.

Also present at the event were the players Guillem Naspler (BAXI Manresa), Lee Aaliya (UCAM Murcia), Álex Moreno (Casademont Zaragoza), Gonzalo Cabrera (Gran Canaria), Manuel Trujillo (Unicaja Alhaurín de la Torre), Osi Cerdá (Stellantis & You Granada), Izan Almansa (Real Madrid), Aksel Laso (Burgos Alhaurín de la Torre), Santander Bilbao

In addition, the competition system and the calendar have been presented in detail and the digital identity of the U League has been deepened, which will have a strong presence on social networks. Their matches will be broadcast via their YouTube channel, with two matches per day via Marca TV and AS TV. A premium meeting on each day will soon be in charge of TVE.

The competition will last until May 17, when the first champion will be crowned in an exciting Final to 6.

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