MADRID — Barcelona coach Xavi knows from his own experience that taking a chance on youngsters at the club’s famous La Masia soccer academy usually pays off. Xavi himself was a member of the academy before becoming one of Barcelona’s — and Spain’s — greatest players.
Barcelona’s Marc Guiu celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, at the Olympic Stadium of Montjuic in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday.
He was an 18-year-old when given the chance to debut with the first team in a Spanish Super Cup game in 1998. The former midfielder scored in the match against Mallorca to kickstart his successful career. “I don’t have a problem with looking at our talent at home,” Xavi said. “On the contrary, we only need to give them confidence, just like it happened to me when I was 17 or 18 years old. When we see that a young player is ready, we just send him out onto the field.”
The most famous member of La Masia was soccer great Lionel Messi, who made his debut with the first team at age 17 in 2004, a few years after arriving from Argentina. “The whole club should celebrate today, all the people who have worked with him ,” Xavi said. “It’s a sign of the good work being done at home.”