Tendency at Barça: skipping the stage at the subsidiary

2023-04-26 07:53:21

BarcelonaLamine Yamal is already a reality in Xavi Hernández’s plans. At just 15 years old, he has become a regular in first team training. Still without Dembélé, the Terrassa coach has included him on the list to visit Vallecas, where they face Rayo this Wednesday (10 p.m., DAZN). Should he play, Lamine Yamal – he should be called that because it is his full surname – would become the youngest debutant in Barça’s history in the League. The first is Vicenç Martínez, who did it in the 1941-42 academic year at 16 years and 280 days. The second, a member of the current squad: Ansu Fati, who made his debut at 16 years, 9 months and 25 days in August 2019. Lamine Yamal, who will not turn 16 until July, would surpass them by far.

His case highlights what years ago was an exception reserved for exceptional talents, such as Messi, and is becoming a trend. It is only necessary to review the recent list of players from the youth team who have consolidated in the first team by skipping the subsidiary. Ansu Fati, despite being burdened by injuries, became against Getafe the first player from the Masia to reach the figure of 100 official matches with Barça since Sergi Roberto did it. The Spanish-Guinean has achieved this without playing a single game with the subsidiary.

Gavi made his debut in the League at 17 years and 24 days. The Andalusian, which for reasons of fair play he still plays with the youth card, he has the honor of being the youngest debutant in the Spanish national team. Blaugrana since the age of 11, made his debut with the absolute at 17 years and 62 days. In just over a year (15 months), Gavi went from playing for Barça’s cadet to becoming an absolute international. He has only played three games with the subsidiary. His landing in the first team was parallel to that of Nico, loaned to Valencia. The 21-year-old Galician did play more in B, with 27 appearances.

The case of Nico is similar to that of Alejandro Balde (19 years old), who has been called to the elite after 31 participations with the subsidiary, which would have been more if it were not for an ankle injury when he was more consolidated with the B. Pedri is also a case of an exceptionally precocious talent. But the canary, before making the jump to Primera, had 36 participations in Second with Las Palmas.

The emergencies last year caused Sergi Barjuan, as an interim, and Xavi, later, to call Abde (21 years old). The winger was in the first team between October and February, but finished the season in the subsidiary before leaving on loan to Osasuna and becoming an international with Morocco. Between Barça Atlètic and, before that, Hércules, he accumulated around forty participations in semi-professional football. Ronald Araujo has followed a similar trajectory to Abde: before settling in the first team, he spent two seasons in the subsidiary. Both were signed directly to play with the B.

Why has the Barça subsidiary ceased to be a hinge?

This tendency to skip the subsidiary draws lights, but also shadows. The former manager of the nursery Jordi Roura celebrates that the work done at La Masia in recent years is bearing fruit. He defends that, in general, skipping the subsidiary stage is not good news, but he considers that precocity is a trend in several sports. “Before, most debutants reached the first team at 25 years old. When I was a player, we did it at 21 or 22. Now, they are doing it at 18-19 years old”, he explains in conversation with ARA and says that this it also happens in cycling or tennis.

For Roura, the explanation of the Barça case is multifactorial. “The economic situation has meant that we have to look at the squad, which has shown that it brings talent. Having a coach who knows the house like Xavi also helps a lot. In addition, Barça’s tradition is to take care of the base” . Franc Artiga, who worked at La Masia as a coach for eleven years, expresses himself in a similar vein. Cabrils’ coach adds that the severity of the rules of fair play makes this happen in most teams in the League.

What does it mean to burn stages and skip the subsidiary?

“The Barça squads of more years ago had a higher level and that made it more difficult to reach the first team”, he specifies. Artiga is not in favor of advancing stages: “There are cases like Gavi’s, who can quickly adapt to the competition at the first level. But what is recommended is that the player completes the stages”. The coach remarks that nowadays also “they are the players who are increasingly in a hurry and the globalization of football means that they can change teams more easily”.

Both Artiga and Roura agree that making an early jump into the first team means that the club must take “special care” with these young players. “At Barça we prepare them for the demands, but we must protect them from criticism and make them touch the ground. And, when necessary, make them understand that the world does not end if he has to go down to the subsidiary. In this, it is key to have a coach like Xavi who has experienced it,” says Roura. “With Ansu we are seeing how the expectations generated have now turned into pressure. They are players who are being trained and the press or the fans do not accept that they can make mistakes. Burning stages has risks”, concludes Artiga.