Barcelona stormed the Bernabéu with four goals on October 26. The one on the scoreboard was not the only victory. There was another underlying one. Well, he achieved it with six La Masia players as starters. In total, more than half of the 14 players Flick used had trained at La Masia (8).
The Barcelona youth academy is not the last resort but a treasure, a blessing. It is not only resorted to out of necessity but also out of principles. It is not to fill your mouth or to invoke his name in vain. The bet is not for the gallery. In all the big Barças there has been a significant amount of people from home.
The last classic
In the 0-4, eight of the 14 players that Flick used were from La Masia; Ancelotti only pulled Lucas and Fran García
The conception and management of Madrid’s young people is at the opposite end. In the last five seasons, Barcelona has debuted 25 youth players, 22 directly from the youth ranks and three who arrived through transfers (Eric Garcia, Bellerín and Dani Olmo). Both Koeman, Xavi and now Flick have been clear that they could count on the talent of the promising players. This route is not so busy in Chamartín, since in the last five years 15 youth players have received the alternative.
This list does not include players like Araújo, Jutglà, Abde or Pablo Torre, signed to play in the reserve team, such as Gerard Martín and Pau Víctor.
Koeman, Xavi and Flick
Since 2020-21, 25 boys from the Barça quarry have debuted with Koeman, Xavi and Flick
The numbers are obvious, but it is not only the quantity but also the quality of these debuts. Those who come to Barcelona are usually to stay, with stripes, while in Madrid they have a testimonial step. To get an idea, only Lamine Yamal has almost the same number of games played (67) as all the white youth players who have debuted since 2020-21 (73).
Of the 15 homegrown players who have made their debut, only five have been starters: Chust, Miguel Gutiérrez, Antonio Blanco, Marvin and Álvaro Carrillo. No one is still in the white house. Nothing to do with the confidence that exists at Barça, where up to 18 have entered the lineups. The progression of some like Gavi, Balde, Cubarsí, Fermín, Lamine Yamal and Casadó has been so meteoric that they have reached the senior Spanish team on the fast track. Perhaps Marc Bernal would have also achieved it if he had not been seriously injured in Vallecas. In fact, Cubarsí was called up yesterday, due to the absence of Pau Torres, for the matches against Denmark and Switzerland.
International
Cubarsí replaces Pau Torres in the Spanish team, where he joins his teammates Casadó, Olmo and Pedri
Another indicator that speaks for itself is that, of the new white blackbirds, only three have been able to see the door: Arribas, Álvaro Rodríguez and Nico Paz. One goal each. Very little baggage.
The comparison is embarrassing because the influence of both quarries in their respective clubs could not be more disparate. In Barcelona, after years of playing in the same way in grassroots football, the leap is more natural and we have seen young footballers (Ilaix, Ilias, Alarcón, Guiu or Héctor Fort) or younger players knock down the door.
One worth 15
At 17 years old, Lamine Yamal has played almost the same games (67) as Madrid’s 15 debutant youth players (73)
The management of the Real Madrid quarry is very different. In the historic debate between quarry or portfolio, Florentino Pérez almost always leans towards the portfolio, going so far as to sign very young players for very high amounts, such as the Brazilians Vinícius (2016), Rodrygo (2018) or Endrick.
The club, rather than giving its youth players a chance, opts for what it calls “doing military service abroad.” This was the case of the only three who are now in the first team: Carvajal (was at Bayer Leverkusen), Lucas Vázquez (Espanyol) and Fran García (Rayo), the only one who has established himself in these five years. In that sense, Madrid still controls Nico Paz, transferred to Como.
Testimonial
Of the white blackbirds, only five were starters and only three saw the goal
Ancelotti explains it because of the “high demand”: “Here we are not about giving minutes to train players, but to win and that is why I always put the best in.” As it is, they have few minutes, in Cup matches or to cover an injury, as was the case with Asencio against Osasuna or if Fortea, a youth winger, is required to replace Carvajal and Lucas.
La Masia is there and is expected. Not to the Factory at the moment.
#great #victory #Masia
