Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy has always been the benchmark for quality in terms of academy players.
Right back since the days of Johan Cruyff, the Catalans have taken great pride in their youth, schooling them at all levels in exactly the same way as the first team so that the transition – when it arrives – isn’t so difficult.
It’s a way of working that’s often been copied but never bettered.
In terms of its success, Louis Van Gaal handed debuts to the likes of Xavi and Carles Puyol during the time he was coach of the club at the start of the millennium.
Andres Iniesta and Victor Valdes would be two more that would come through, and the Blaugrana were awash with home grown talent when Pep Guardiola became coach.
Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique – via a sojourn to Manchester United - Lionel Messi, Thiago, Pedro, Cesc Fabregas – repatriated from Arsenal… not to mention the likes of Bojan Krkic, Marc Bartra, Jeffren, Martin Montoya et al.
Barcelona had a veritable production line and even if the vast majority didn’t make a real footprint at the club in the long term, Deulofeu, Bellerin, Adama Traore, Grimaldo and Sandro for example, the players were at least available to be given a shot.
At the present time, Sergi Roberto finds himself as the last true La Masia graduate to make the grade at senior level, and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
Munir and Rafinha can lay claim, but they’re largely being held in reserve.
Indeed, there seems to be a change of tack at board level with the club now hoovering up the best talent in the way that Real Madrid used to in its ‘Galactico’ period.
There simply isn’t enough time for young players to be able to develop in the first team anymore, and some highly prized individuals have sought pastures new for just that reason.
Jordi Mboula left for Monaco and Eric Garcia felt that Manchester City offered him a better route to senior football.
All in all, it’s an about face that couldn’t have been predicted a decade ago when La Masia was thriving. Now it seems that it will take at least that long again to get things back to how they were.
Though a replication of the club’s golden era in terms of its youth is unlikely, a steady stream of new incumbents has to be the way forward.
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