It is honest to say La Masia is one in all the extra well-known soccer manufacturing traces.
Barcelona have constructed legendary groups utilizing lots of the graduates to have come by their academy.
While the membership could have gone for extra of a transfer-based strategy lately, there stays a romance about the thought of La Masia churning out extra stars of the future.
With the announcement on Wednesday that the newest product, Gavi, has signed a brand new deal till 2026 after turning into a significant cog in Xavi’s first staff regardless of solely turning 18 in August, Stats Perform has taken a take a look at different teen sensations who broke by over the years; these who flourished, and these who didn’t.
From promise to stardom
Lionel Messi
Let’s begin with the most blatant one. Great issues have been at all times anticipated of Messi, however certainly no-one may have predicted fairly the impression the little man with the lengthy hair would have when he made his Barca debut.
On October 16, 2004, Messi got here off the bench in opposition to Espanyol as an 82nd-minute sub for Deco. After that, he took over the world.
The Argentina worldwide went on to make 778 appearances for Barca, scoring 672 targets, and successful seven Ballon d’Or awards.
Messi and Barca followers have been in tears when he left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, displaying precisely how a lot his impression had meant to the membership.
Xavi
The Barca head coach has made a promising begin in the dugout since arriving final season, however he had already greater than established his place as a legend in the membership’s historical past as a participant.
He made his LaLiga debut in 1998 underneath Louis van Gaal, earlier than turning into an integral a part of a number of Barca sides over the subsequent 17 years.
Xavi was a midfield maestro, and in his 779 matches, he scored 87 targets and lifted eight LaLiga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies and 4 Champions League titles.
It feels applicable that in the similar manner he dictated play on the pitch, he’s now engineering a brand new Barca facet to play his manner and making the followers imagine in the staff’s id and path as soon as extra.
Andres Iniesta
You can’t point out Xavi with out additionally mentioning his associate in crime.
Iniesta was the yin to Xavi’s yang throughout the membership’s most affluent period, additionally taking part in a big half in successful a copious quantity of trophies underneath the likes of Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
While Iniesta’s most well-known contribution to soccer will at all times be his successful aim for Spain in the 2010 World Cup ultimate, the incontrovertible fact that the membership remains to be actually trying to discover an ample alternative for his function 4 years after he left says all of it.
Overall, he made 679 appearances, scoring 57 targets, earlier than transferring to Vissel Kobe in Japan in 2018.
@andresiniesta8‘s ultimate moments on the Camp Nou pitch…
More unseen footage: https://t.co/BjQMfr7Tg0 pic.twitter.com/nLNrNmIleX— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 22, 2018
From promise to… Stoke, Ipswich and Brighton
Bojan Krkic
It is tough to observe in any profitable footsteps, however think about being the subsequent massive factor after Messi.
The hype felt justified for Bojan although, after the diminutive striker broke every kind of information at youth degree, scoring 423 targets total earlier than he even reached the first staff.
Being a central striker and aim poacher didn’t actually tally with the Barca manner at the time, although, and regardless that he did handle 41 targets in 164 video games for the first staff, he was in the end offered to Roma in 2011.
Bojan struggled to determine himself anyplace, even at Stoke City in the Premier League after arriving in 2014, whereas at Montreal Impact, he made none, and he at the moment finds himself taking part in alongside Iniesta at Vissel Kobe at the age of 32.
Giovani dos Santos
Speaking of the subsequent massive factor, when Giovani got here by, his comparability was to the nice Ronaldinho. Again, no strain.
Similarly to Bojan, it by no means actually felt like the Mexico worldwide suited Barca, a incorrect place incorrect time scenario, however he nonetheless made 41 appearances, scoring eight targets.
He joined Tottenham in 2008, however regardless of some temporary prospers at White Hart Lane, additionally struggled to determine himself, even transferring on mortgage to Ipswich Town in 2009.
After a while again in LaLiga with Mallorca and Villarreal, Giovani moved to MLS with Los Angeles Galaxy, then after two years at Club America in his native nation, has been and not using a membership since 2021.
3 – Ante el Real Murcia en mayo de 2008, Giovani dos Santos
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