Who is behind Campus Ojochal?
My name is Alejandro Valle Kattendahl, but everyone knows me as Dando, and I am the founder of Campus Ojochal. Since you trust me with your children, it is only fair that you know who I am and where I come from. I’m not quite sure where to begin or how to select the most important moments from my football journey since all of them hold significance to me. I’ll do my best to share my story in a way that is both enjoyable and concise.
I started playing soccer on the streets of my hometown, Barcelona, inspired by my older brother, who was the best player in our working-class neighborhood. He was six years older than me, and I admired him greatly. We played on an L-shaped cement street where the goalkeepers couldn’t see each other because of a wall between them. One goal was the barred window of a bakery office, and the other was a step leading to an open field with a ravine. If you scored a goal on the right side, you had to retrieve the ball from twenty meters down the ravine. Choosing which goal to play on was crucial because most of us were right-footed, and depending on the side, scoring could be much easier. Sometimes, as a goalkeeper, you would kick the ball over the wall and score without even seeing it — you’d just hear your team celebrating.
One day, I heard that FC Barcelona was holding tryouts for 10-year-olds. I showed up and was selected to participate in a championship held every Saturday on the soccer fields near the Camp Nou stadium (these fields no longer exist; they’ve been replaced by a parking lot).
In the picture above, you can see my team, Pirineus. Can you spot me? In the picture below is Pep Guardiola’s team, Bonaigua. He’s the current coach of Manchester City and a former player and coach of FC Barcelona. Can you spot him? I can’t remember who won the tournament—I’ll have to ask him one day.
At the end of the tournament, I was selected to train with Barcelona’s 10-year-old team. I vividly remember my first day with them. They had just returned from a trip to Milan, where they played in a European championship. The facilities were modern and intimidating, but what struck me most were the players. They were tall, strong, and some even had hair on their legs and budding mustaches—and they were my age! Physically, I couldn’t measure up, and my time there was short-lived.
I went back to playing on the streets until a scout noticed me and invited me to join a neighborhood team. This team’s stadium was located in a conflict zone, and after training, we always had to be cautious to avoid being assaulted. I remember one day, a friend and I were about to enter the stadium when four gypsy kids appeared, ready to rob us. Just as the robbery seemed imminent, one of them recognized us as players from the neighborhood team and let us go. We escaped unscathed, with the little we had in our possession.
I played for this team until I was 16. During this time, I had the honor of facing (again) and defeating Pep Guardiola’s team. We were 14 years old, playing the last game of the season for promotion. They had already been promoted, and the stadium was filled with families cheering from the stands. We won 3-1, and the celebrations were unforgettable: champagne flowed in the locker room, parents embraced the players, and there were tears of joy. This was the second time we played against FC Barcelona. In our first match at their stadium, they beat us 5-0. We didn’t know Guardiola then, but he dazzled us with his dribbles and passes. I like to say I’m tied with Guardiola in victories: he beat me once, and I beat him once.
Today, at Ojochal Campus, we try to teach and apply the game system that defined the best team of all time—Barcelona during the era of Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta. This system, called tiki-taka, emphasizes game control and ball possession. Its modern-day creator (with credit to Johan Cruyff) is Pep Guardiola himself.
At 16, I received offers from three reputable teams and academies in Barcelona, including one from a club playing in Spain’s second-highest category. Reluctant to leave my friends, I was persuaded by my coach to seize this opportunity. The transfer fee? A bag full of soccer balls sent by my new club to my old one. From then on, football became a new adventure. We traveled across the country, and the games and training sessions were intense. By 17, I was playing at a higher level and earning my first salary as a soccer player. I spent two years at this club before being recruited by Club Deportivo Júpiter, one of Barcelona’s historic teams. Playing for Júpiter was an incredible experience. We came close to earning promotion to Spain’s second national division, a remarkable feat for a working-class neighborhood team.
One memorable moment during this time was facing CSKA Moscow, a professional Russian team that was in Barcelona for preseason training. They beat us 3-1.
I also formed lifelong friendships with players like the parents of Dani Olmo and Marc Bernal, whose sons would go on to have illustrious careers with FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Dani Olmo cheering for the Lions, and congratulating our Lion, Dari, right after winning the Eurocup for Spain and signing for FC Barcelona (September 2024)
Sadly, my career in Spain ended prematurely at the age of 22 due to a series of injuries. A pubic injury required surgery, and subsequent operations for ingrown toenails led to nerve damage, cutting my career short. Feeling defeated, I left my girlfriend, football, and friends behind to embark on an American adventure.
In New York, I worked as a bike messenger while playing for the NY Fevers (above picture). Later, I embarked on a 26-day bike trip from New York to Savannah, Georgia, and eventually made my way to Miami. There, I joined the Miami Breakers and later Uruguay Soccer Club, experiencing some of the best moments of my amateur career. In 2000, we won the U.S. Amateur Championship, qualifying us for the U.S. Open Cup, where we competed against professional teams from Major League Soccer (MLS). We defeated a second-division professional team 2-1 before facing Tampa Bay Mutiny, which featured legendary players like Carlos Valderrama. Although we lost 1-0 in extra time, the Tampa Bay crowd gave us a standing ovation for our performance.
Another highlight was being selected as the training team for the Argentine national team, led by Marcelo Bielsa, when they played against the U.S. at Miami’s Orange Bowl Stadium. Although we lost 4-1, it was an unforgettable experience. We also played against the Venezuelan national team, the Haitian national team, Glasgow Rangers from Scotland, and MLS teams like Miami Fusion and New England Revolution.
During my life in Miami I got to earn some money modeling for a Colombian juice brand, “Frutiño”, and play part on an editorial for Sport Illustrated.
At 36, after two Achilles tendon ruptures, meniscus tears, and cartilage damage, I retired from competitive football. However, my passion for the sport remained. I pursued coaching certifications and dedicated myself to training young players. In 2000, I bought a property in Ojochal, and since 2019, I’ve lived here permanently. Campus Ojochal began in May 2021. Before that, I coached Ojochal’s senior team, which later became the Big Lions.
Football has brought me joy, challenges, lifelong friendships, and a sense of purpose. It has taken me around the world and taught me invaluable life lessons. Most importantly, it has connected me with people from all walks of life, proving that football is a universal language.
Thank you for trusting me with your children. I understand they are your most precious treasures, and I am committed to helping them become not only excellent athletes but also outstanding individuals. Together, we work towards this goal every day at Campus Ojochal.
Long live football!
Thank you for reading.
