BARCELONA – Barcelona already had a sports policy to be implemented in the first team, in the short term, in accordance with what was agreed with Ronald Koeman: the quarry will take an indisputable leading role and only the signing of a forward or midfielder would be considered (requests of the trainer) in the unlikely event of obtaining a good income during the next two weeks that would allow them to go to the market.
Sources from the Barça club acknowledged to ESPN Digital that their delicate economic situation is mixed with the conviction of resuming the path of a quarry that, they assure “has excellent players for the first team.”
Cruyff invented Milla one day and Pep Guardiola another; Van Gaal catapulted Xavi and surrendered to Puyol; Guardiola discovered Pedro and Busquets … And Koeman gave gallons to Pedri before promoting Mingueza. And the road will not end there because the economic ruin that plagues the Camp Nou is seen as the non-negotiable opportunity to return to the essence.
Making a virtue of necessity, Barça will recover and redouble its commitment to La Masia as Johan Cruyff, Louis van Gaal and Pep Guardiola did, in modern times. The first, in 1995 and in response to the poor performance of the signings, catapulted the so-called Quinta del Mini, which after its excellent staging was diluted after the dismissal of Johan; Van Gaal, noted for filling the squad of compatriots, some of dubious taste, laid the foundations for the future with Puyol, Valdés, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and, next to him, Gabri or Reina; the third bet from the start on Pedro and Sergio Busquets… And he went on to conquer a Club World Cup in 2011, with a line-up in which nine footballers emerged from their grassroots football.
A GREAT GENERATION
After almost a decade in which barely Sergi Roberto became established in the first team and footballers like Thiago Alcantara, Dani Olmo, Adama Traoré, Cucurella, Christuan Tello, Rafinha, Miranda, Cuenca, Jonathan dos Santos o Masip (whose presence in the squad would not have been far-fetched) had to emigrate because they could not find space in the dressing room, Barcelona resolved to return to their essence by looking at grassroots football again.
“We have a generation of the host,” he openly proclaimed Gerard piqué referring to the players who push with determination from behind and to whom Ronald Koeman is giving space, without noise but without rest. Young people led by Pedri, who exploded by surprise a year ago and who they accompanied Ronald araujo, Mingueza or the today prescribed Ilaix Moriba. Together with those who fight without giving up Riqui Puig waiting for the recovery of Ansu Fati and who are joined by Nico, Gavi, Demir, Balde or Yusuf demir, the Austrian pearl whom Piqué came to compare, boldly, with Messi for “his dribbling.” AND Eric GarciaOf course, as the veteran captain did his master in Manchester (he in the City) to return eager for glory to the Camp Nou.
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The Spanish center-back revealed that there will be a pay cut for all team leaders.
Of all of them only one, Alex Collado, seems to have the days at the club numbered. A suspicion that raises blisters among those who defend their excellent quality that, however, does not convince the coach, as it happens with Riqui, who for the third year will try to turn around a situation as uncomfortable as it is misunderstood by many.
NECESSARY SPACE
The confirmation of this commitment to young people was demonstrated by Koeman on the first day of the League, when he included Nico, Gavi and King Manaj (whose future is still open) to leave in the stands Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic and Philippe Coutinho. The first two know the need they have to find an urgent exit for not entering into the technician’s plans; the Brazilian is to the liking of Koeman … But the club does not rule out his departure to alleviate, as far as possible, the accounts.
At the moment, 13 of the 23 summoned against Real Sociedad have a past in the subsidiary and Pedri and Demir are added to them, pushing all of them with the same determination that 25 years ago the Celades, De la Peña, Velamazán, Roger and Òscar, who together with Guardiola, Amor, Ferrer, Sergi, Busquets, Jordi Cruyff or Carreras won their space due to the conviction of a coach who put them ahead in several cases of more experienced footballers such as Prosinecki, Cuéllar, Abelardo or Hagi .
Ronald Koeman is not suspicious when it comes to his commitment to youth, and his coaching career proves it. His turbulent incomplete year at Valencia left Mata or Banega for the future and before, at Ajax, he was the one who sponsored Sneijder or Van der Vaart, made his debut Thomas vermaelen or propped up the career of the then wayward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 19 years old.
“We must look to the future, to young people,” proclaimed the coach after adding the first three points of the League against Real Sociedad and discovering that life without Lionel messi It may not be a bed of roses, but it must be an exciting journey. The club seems to have it clear and Koeman, the most important, too.
The results, the scoreboard, will dictate sentence as always happens … But faced with him, Barcelona’s patience will be key.