LA MASIA KEEPS on delivering. Barcelona’s fabled farmhouse is now a state-of-the-art facility developing some of the world’s finest young footballers to follow in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola, Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets et al. And as the Blaugrana prepare for their first Champions League clash of the new season at home to APOEL, some of those talents are just about ready to step up to the first team.
Barca have prided themselves on bringing through youngsters in recent years, becoming the first club to provide all three players short-listed for the Ballon d’Or prize in 2010, when Lionel Messi was joined on the podium by club colleagues Iniesta and Xavi.
Guardiola, a La Masia graduate himself, once fielded 10 homegrown players in a Barca team and his successor, the late Tito Vilanova, went one better by using an entire XI made up of academy players in a game at Levante in November 2012.
Current coach Luis Enrique knows all about the youth side too, having coached Barca B between 2008 and 2011, and the Asturian is keen to promote players to the first team – especially as the club are unable to sign next year due to a transfer ban in 2015.
Philosophy
That came about due to irregularities in the way the club signed some of those players for their youth team, but Barca have maintained that La Masia will remain at the heart of their future philosophy. And so it should.
Forwards Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suarez could both feature following their loan spells at Sevilla, but here, Goal takes a look at some of the other players who could make the step up from Barca B to the first team over the next season or two…
Jean Marie Dongou is a product of the Samuel Eto’o Foundation and, like the former Barca striker, he is an impressive goalscorer.
Dongou, left, walking out for the youth team in 2011. AP / Press Association Images
AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images
Short in stature with a good turn of pace, Dongou’s diagonal runs cause big problems for opposition defences and the youngster has already netted four in four games for Barca B in Segunda this season – including two in the recent 4-1 win over Zaragoza.
The striker made three appearances for the Catalan club’s first team in 2013-14, but will need to be patient this time following the signing of Luis Suarez and the progress of team-mates Munir El Haddadi and Sandro.
Munir El Haddadi has enjoyed a remarkable rise in 2014, passing from little-known youth player to fully fledged first-team striker and Spain international in the space of just a few months.
Advertisement
A striker of Moroccan descent, Munir grew up in the outskirts of Madrid and was spotted by a Barca scout playing for Tercera side Rayo Majadahonda in 2011.
Although he was on loan from Atletico, Barca tempted the forward to Catalunya and he hasn’t looked back this year, scoring a wonder goal from the halfway line as the club won the Uefa Youth Cup in April and going on to top-score in pre-season for the first team, before netting on his debut against Elche and then earning his first Spain cap against Macedonia last week. Amazing.
Barcelona’s current left-back is La Masia graduate Jordi Alba and the Spain defender could face competition in future from another homegrown prospect; Alex Grimaldo.
Grimaldo is 18 and already an exciting talent. A solid defender with a strong physical presence, good reading of the game and the ability to make forwards runs, Alex can also play as a defensive midfielder or a winger and has an impressive range of passing.
His excellent technique also makes him a threat at set-pieces and the youngster curled home a fantastic free kick in Barca B’s 3-2 win over Alaves just last weekend.
At the age of 25 and with Barcelona having just signed two goalkeepers, Jordi Masip faces an uncertain future at the Catalan club.
Mike Egerton
Mike Egerton
Currently third choice, the Sabadell-born shot-stopper has yet to make an official first-team appearance for the Blaugrana, but did enjoy an encouraging pre-season in which he was the only one of the three keepers not to concede a single goal.
Sidelined with a fractured finger, Masip should return to action at the end of this month, but may have to seek a career away from Camp Nou if both Claudio Bravo and Ter Stegen stay for the long term.
Sergi Samper is the latest in a long line of oustanding Catalan midfielders to emerge from La Masia and looks like a player who could be the natural heir to Sergio Busquets.
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Busquets is still only 26 and has many years ahead of him yet, but Barca fans and coaches are genuinely excited by Samper, a player who combines the role of defensive midfielder with the ability to pick out forward players with his precise passing and vision.
A deep-lying playmaker more in the Pep Guardiola mould, Samper has already interested Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, but Luis Enrique knows him well, used him in pre-season and should give the youngster some opportunities in the first team this term.
MIquel Llop
MIquel Llop
Sandro has already made a dream debut for Barcelona’s first team, coming off the bench to score the winner in his side’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Villarreal prior to the international break.
Like team-mate Pedro, Sandro hails from the Canary Islands and moved to Barcelona at the age of 14. Most comfortable as a central striker but also able to play out wide, the forward has represented Spain at every youth level from Under-16 to U-21.
Blessed with pace and a ferocious right-foot shot, the 19-year-old is a clinical finisher with a great eye for goal, but may struggle for first-team opportunities once Luis Suarez returns from his ban in late October.
An extremely exciting right winger with blistering pace and a powerful shot, Adama Traore is a player who can beat defenders at will with his speed and impressive dribbling.
Barcelona-born of Malian descent, Adama represents Spain at youth level and is nicknamed La Flecha (The Arrow) due to his tremendous pace.
Scouted by former Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas as a potential signing for the north London club last year, Adama also impressed Gerardo Martino and featured in two official matches last season. Now 18, he looks ready to make the step up and participate in many more this term.
Transfer ban ahead for Barca, but no shortage of quality from La Masia
LA MASIA KEEPS on delivering. Barcelona’s fabled farmhouse is now a state-of-the-art facility developing some of the world’s finest young footballers to follow in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola, Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets et al. And as the Blaugrana prepare for their first Champions League clash of the new season at home to APOEL, some of those talents are just about ready to step up to the first team.
Barca have prided themselves on bringing through youngsters in recent years, becoming the first club to provide all three players short-listed for the Ballon d’Or prize in 2010, when Lionel Messi was joined on the podium by club colleagues Iniesta and Xavi.
Guardiola, a La Masia graduate himself, once fielded 10 homegrown players in a Barca team and his successor, the late Tito Vilanova, went one better by using an entire XI made up of academy players in a game at Levante in November 2012.
Current coach Luis Enrique knows all about the youth side too, having coached Barca B between 2008 and 2011, and the Asturian is keen to promote players to the first team – especially as the club are unable to sign next year due to a transfer ban in 2015.
Philosophy
That came about due to irregularities in the way the club signed some of those players for their youth team, but Barca have maintained that La Masia will remain at the heart of their future philosophy. And so it should.
Forwards Gerard Deulofeu and Denis Suarez could both feature following their loan spells at Sevilla, but here, Goal takes a look at some of the other players who could make the step up from Barca B to the first team over the next season or two…
Jean Marie Dongou is a product of the Samuel Eto’o Foundation and, like the former Barca striker, he is an impressive goalscorer.
Short in stature with a good turn of pace, Dongou’s diagonal runs cause big problems for opposition defences and the youngster has already netted four in four games for Barca B in Segunda this season – including two in the recent 4-1 win over Zaragoza.
The striker made three appearances for the Catalan club’s first team in 2013-14, but will need to be patient this time following the signing of Luis Suarez and the progress of team-mates Munir El Haddadi and Sandro.
Munir El Haddadi has enjoyed a remarkable rise in 2014, passing from little-known youth player to fully fledged first-team striker and Spain international in the space of just a few months.
A striker of Moroccan descent, Munir grew up in the outskirts of Madrid and was spotted by a Barca scout playing for Tercera side Rayo Majadahonda in 2011.
Although he was on loan from Atletico, Barca tempted the forward to Catalunya and he hasn’t looked back this year, scoring a wonder goal from the halfway line as the club won the Uefa Youth Cup in April and going on to top-score in pre-season for the first team, before netting on his debut against Elche and then earning his first Spain cap against Macedonia last week. Amazing.
Barcelona’s current left-back is La Masia graduate Jordi Alba and the Spain defender could face competition in future from another homegrown prospect; Alex Grimaldo.
Grimaldo is 18 and already an exciting talent. A solid defender with a strong physical presence, good reading of the game and the ability to make forwards runs, Alex can also play as a defensive midfielder or a winger and has an impressive range of passing.
His excellent technique also makes him a threat at set-pieces and the youngster curled home a fantastic free kick in Barca B’s 3-2 win over Alaves just last weekend.
At the age of 25 and with Barcelona having just signed two goalkeepers, Jordi Masip faces an uncertain future at the Catalan club.
Currently third choice, the Sabadell-born shot-stopper has yet to make an official first-team appearance for the Blaugrana, but did enjoy an encouraging pre-season in which he was the only one of the three keepers not to concede a single goal.
Sidelined with a fractured finger, Masip should return to action at the end of this month, but may have to seek a career away from Camp Nou if both Claudio Bravo and Ter Stegen stay for the long term.
Sergi Samper is the latest in a long line of oustanding Catalan midfielders to emerge from La Masia and looks like a player who could be the natural heir to Sergio Busquets.
Busquets is still only 26 and has many years ahead of him yet, but Barca fans and coaches are genuinely excited by Samper, a player who combines the role of defensive midfielder with the ability to pick out forward players with his precise passing and vision.
A deep-lying playmaker more in the Pep Guardiola mould, Samper has already interested Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, but Luis Enrique knows him well, used him in pre-season and should give the youngster some opportunities in the first team this term.
Sandro has already made a dream debut for Barcelona’s first team, coming off the bench to score the winner in his side’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Villarreal prior to the international break.
Like team-mate Pedro, Sandro hails from the Canary Islands and moved to Barcelona at the age of 14. Most comfortable as a central striker but also able to play out wide, the forward has represented Spain at every youth level from Under-16 to U-21.
Blessed with pace and a ferocious right-foot shot, the 19-year-old is a clinical finisher with a great eye for goal, but may struggle for first-team opportunities once Luis Suarez returns from his ban in late October.
An extremely exciting right winger with blistering pace and a powerful shot, Adama Traore is a player who can beat defenders at will with his speed and impressive dribbling.
Barcelona-born of Malian descent, Adama represents Spain at youth level and is nicknamed La Flecha (The Arrow) due to his tremendous pace.
Scouted by former Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas as a potential signing for the north London club last year, Adama also impressed Gerardo Martino and featured in two official matches last season. Now 18, he looks ready to make the step up and participate in many more this term.
– Ben Hayward
Candystripes hammer Drogs to stroll into FAI Cup semi-finals
La Liga champions Atlético Madrid downed by Fulham reject Mitroglou’s strike
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Analysis BARCA'S BRIGTH FUTURE COMP:LA LIGA La Liga La Masia production line Barcelona WELL-STOCKED