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Globalization has certainly took it’s toll on the game of football in recent years and has forever changed the sporting landscape. Not even Barcelona’s revered La Masia Academy could escaped it’s claws. Their ‘mes que un club’ ethos has submitted to rapid commercialisation, vast spending and sponsorship deals with Qatari and Japanese companies. Barcelona have crossed that very thin line between culture and strategy and now evidently have to suffer it’s consequences both on and off the pitch. This tug of war between commercialization and homogenization has hastened the political fallout and been one of the main arguments for the end of President Bartomeu in the forthcoming elections.
In an article on the Barcelona website entitled; The Foundations of Barca Football, the club states “the importance of teaching, transmitting and maintaining the imprint of Barça football. With the aim of ensuring the legacy of the style of play… preserving Barça will always be the best signing of all”.
Less than eight years ago, on November 25, 2012, Tito Villanova’s Barcelona won 4-0 away at Levante. After 14 minutes, Dani Alves tore his right hamstring and was replaced by Martin Montoya. For 61 minutes, until Jordi Alba was substituted for Adriano, Barcelona’s XI read: Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Montoya, Alba, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi, Pedro. Every player was a graduate of La Masia, that great cathedral designed by Lauerano Ruiz and Oriol Tort and realised by Cruyff. Fast forward to June 2019 and as Spain commenced their Under-21 European Championship campaign their squad contained no Barcelona player for the first time ever at this tournament. To some extent, this is the indirect result of unprecedented success. However this issue is not just black and white. Barcelona have and are currently producing academy graduates more than capable of dining at Europe’s top table. However just not in Barcelona’s colours. This complete sea change has been expedited by a number of factors ranging from internal affairs such as poor recruitment and succession planning along with the 2014 FIFA ban and modern agents. The recent exodus of players has caused an inevitable disconnect between the club and fans. Maintaining the academy-first team conveyor belt is the near-impossible balance of elite club football. However as pointed to recently; “preserving Barça will always be the best signing of all”.
2014 FIFA BAN
La Masia’s plight has been expedited due to a myriad of external factors. In 2014 the club received a 14 month ban from FIFA for illegal practices when signing 10 Under-18 players which damaged the reputation of the academy. Players such as Ajax shotstopper; Andre Onana and Japanese playmaker; Kubo of Real Madrid were two major casualties during this period. Furthermore and as a direct result Barcelona have maintained a heavy stand against the modern day agent and scaled back their international recruitment considerably. Not only did this hamper the club’s ability to attract elite talent of other clubs but also maintain their own. Dutch wonder-kid; Xavi Simons is just one example. One Barcelona director had this to say regarding ongoing contract negotiations at the time ; “we always try to help those that want to be with us. But we are not going to pay what some representatives are demanding, obscene numbers, to guarantee that a player that is already ours stays with us.” Little surprise the Dutch teen now plies his trade away from the Camp Nou with PSG. However it is succession planning where Barcelona have failed most considerably.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
The one reoccurring theme between all recent tumultuous presidential campaigns at Barcelona has been their alarming lack of strategic planning when it comes to the playing staff The most telling indictment in the autumn of the Valverde era was the club scrambling to secure short team deals for squad players such as Kevin Prince Boateng & Jeison Murillo. With a team chasing trophies on all three fronts one may be excused for asking just how had they been left so short? For years Barcelona have relied on a steady flow of La Masia graduates between the academy and first team. However it is understandable that given the lucrative financial incentives on offer and the microwave mentality of modern day football that was little appetite to accommodate youth prospects at the behest of the tried and tested. With this in mind youth team players have seen their pathway to the senior ranks blocked and therefore taken evasive action seeking new pastures in an effort to avoid their development being curbed. The historical precedent for the present outgoings was set by the departures in the early noughties of Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas; both revered youth team players frustrated by a lack of first team football, which is commonly the most popular reason why an academy graduate may want to leave. Nevertheless it was Thiago’s transfer to Bayern Munich which set the alarm bells ringing in 2013. A new profile of player seeking to depart the Catalans was emerging.
Post Guardiola & Villanova one could say player pathways were hamstrung by a series of misguided coaching appointments who each had a distinct view as to how to evolve the football club. Barcelona edged away from the tried and tested formula and were soon left to rue the ill-effects. As discussed throwing in all the lucrative financial incentives of modern day football and one could forgive the modern day manager for emphasizing current progress over future success. However one cannot excuse some of the hierarchal decision making. In 2016 Barcelona sold Alex Grimaldo to Benfica for less than £2m who has fast developed into one of the most sought after left backs in world football. Grimaldo had seen his squad place filled by Lucas Digne, who proved an expensive backup to Jordi Alba. Similarly with Sergi Roberto and Carlos Alena the club perhaps sought more marketable promise in the duo of Paulinho and Andre Gomes. Even more strange were the recent signings of Francisco Trincao and Matheus Fernanzdez both for significant outlays given the departures of Carles Perez and Alejandro Marques.
Although both Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig have emerged and with some promise they are both exceptions and not the rule. Undoubtedly both are exceptionally talented, however they have benefited directly from the fact Barcelona are at a crossroads. Hopefully for the club’s sake they do not fall victim to the below list of players who have furthered their careers elsewhere;
The most famous academy talents spurned over the past decade include;
- Mauro Icardi (PSG) (£67.5m) - Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich) (£54m) - Andre Onana (Ajax) (£40.5m) - Hector Bellerin (Arsenal) (£36m) - Alex Grimaldo (Benfica) (£31.5m) - Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig) (£31.5m) - Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers) (£25.2m) - Marc Bartra (Real Betis) (£19.8m)
**Market Values courtesy of https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/
More recently younger talents have departed the club such as; - Xavi Simons (PSG) - Eric Garcia (Manchester City) - Adrian Bernabe (Manchester City) - Pablo Moreno (Juventus) - Jordi Mboula (Monaco) - Sergi Gomez (Borussia Dortmund)
THE FUTURE
The clear disconnect was never more apparent than in the final week of the January transfer market. Soon after having loaned Carles Perez to Roma on loan, just days later the club’s worst fears regarding the extent of Luis Suarez’ injury were confirmed with the Uruguayan ruled out for the next few months. With their hands forced and an already thinning squad the club set about hijacking Lyon’s deal to sign Villareal striker Toto Ekambi on loan. Despite their late attempts the deal was always doomed to fail and led to an embarrassing public fallout for technical director; Eric Abidal. Moreover just days earlier Barcelona had let promising Venezuelan midfielder Alejandro Marques join Juventus. Meanwhile over the previous two weeks they had captured the signings of Franciscao Trincao & Matheus Fernandez and fielded them back on loan to their parent clubs.
Where in the past the huge layering of reserve squads was promoted at Barcelona by managers like Rijkaard and Guardiola such a method is deemed a system for the ages. With new FIFA laws set to be introduced regarding loan players and academy staffing, the player-hoarding days of Europe’s elite is now over. Currently Barcelona B’s contain 24 squad members, Juvenile B’s contain 26 and Juvenile A’s contain 22. Where in the past Pep Guardiola 2007/08 B’s contained a varied mixture between young talents such as Sergio Busquets and Pedro with elder veterans it was with development in mind. In recent years Barcelona among many others have been criticised for creating a near monopoly on elite talent. Recent figures show indeed that with 96% of the world’s 250 highest valued players being concentrated across 50 clubs in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Youth technical director, Patrick Kluivert has taken initial steps to redress this balance however no overnight results are expected. The Dutchman knows that to stop the haemorrhaging of young players a plaster will not suffice. It is somewhat ironic that in Barcelona’s bid to maintain ground with Europe’s elite, their very academy is quickly becoming quite the fishing farm for Europe’s elite. Without question the impressive work of Paco Seirulo.lo and Isaac Guerrero at La Masia is validated by the crop of players continuing to emerge from the club’s coffers. However should prospects like Alex Collado et al prosper they must do knowingly their paths are statistically likely to follow that of Carles Perez rather than Ansu Fati.