The exceptional captain who loves fricandó: this is Barça's latest debutant

BarcelonaXavi Espart is the latest in a list of debutants from the prolific 2007 generation that has all of Barcelona excited. Some players seem to have been blessed with talent from a young age: coaches and fans alike agree that, barring any setbacks during their development, they will go on to have professional careers. This would be the case, for example, with exceptional talents like Lamine Yamal. Others are making their way through the youth ranks, more discreetly, but with perseverance and consistency until they reach their most anticipated moment: their debut. Xavi Espart belongs to this second group of players, and his debut in the top flight was a resounding success: in the imposing setting of St. James' Park.

He came on with his team losing and the English side putting Barça under immense pressure. A context that could have made any debutant's legs tremble, but that wasn't the case for Espart, who surprised everyone with the maturity he displayed in the final minutes of a match that secured a valuable draw. He himself told his family, who were worried that it was a difficult stage to make his debut, that he hadn't been afraid. On the contrary, he said he was dying to play and that it was incredible to do so in the Champions League. In fact, those who know him well emphasize that, despite being only 18 years old, he shows a maturity typical of a much older player. His post-match statements made this clear. Confidence and honesty, both on the pitch and in front of the microphones. After the match, he embraced his sister, who is on Erasmus in Manchester and had come to watch the game against Newcastle.

Hansi Flick had had Esparto on his radar for some time (he has nine first-team call-ups) and on Sunday he made his first start against Sevilla. This Tuesday, in the return leg against Newcastle, Eric Garcia will start at right-back, while Esparto humbly awaits another opportunity. The dressing room has welcomed him with open arms, where he has trusted teammates like Cubarsí. Among his closest friends from the youth academy are also Quim Junyent and Juan Hernández. After his debut, teammates and former teammates, such as Marc Guiu, congratulated him in an Instagram post. Some made reference to Philipp Lahm, a comparison that Flick himself made, highlighting that Espart's "confidence" on the ball reminded him of the former Bayern player.

The comparison with Philipp Lahm

"He's very tactically gifted and has great vision, as well as excellent ball control and passing. He also has a good shot. These are qualities he carries over from midfield to full-back, with the ability to play in the inside channels, as we see in modern football," Pay Moral, the current youth coach, explained to ARA. Espart is now in his third season with Barça's Under-12 D team. Previously, he played in Europe and for Vilassar de Mar, the town his family moved to when he was six. The parallel with Lahm is also explained by his versatility. Espart, who arrived at Barça at the age of eight in 2015 on the recommendation of Isidre Gil, played as a central midfielder. It wasn't until he was in the Under-16s, three seasons ago, that coach Iván Carrasco, due to a lack of options at right-back, moved him to that position.

What began as a trial would eventually solidify with Espart's definitive breakthrough. Moral summarizes this versatility by comparing him to Eric: "They are very tactically gifted, very intelligent footballers; this allows them to adapt well to both the pivot and right-back positions." He continues to play as a pivot with the Spanish U-19 team. He has also done so in some matches when he has played with the youth team in the Youth League. In the Champions League group stage match between Newcastle and Barça, Espart traveled with the youth team and, playing as a pivot, opened the scoring in the Catalan victory (2-3).

Injuries and circumstances have helped accelerate Espart's debut, but the club's and Flick's confidence in the player became evident when they asked him to stay at Barça – alternating between the reserve team and the first team – despite receiving interest from Racing Santander for a loan move in January. The Cantabrian side is currently leading the Second Division and their offer to sign Espart also included extending the loan into next season should they achieve promotion. For now, Espart is under contract with Barça until 2028.

Xavi Espart's passion for Catalan cuisine

Espart is one of the four captains of Barça Atlètic. For a youth player to be captain of the reserve team is unprecedented since the club began keeping this record. It's further proof of Esparto's maturity, as he has almost always been captain in every age group. His emergence in the first team is generating excitement at Barça, a club that continues to give homegrown players their debuts. Beyond football, Espart passed his university entrance exams last year and is thinking about his future while studying English, starting a sports management course, and also taking a cooking course. In fact, he's passionate about Catalan cuisine: his favorite dish is fricandó. He also loves music, and when he was little, his parents took him to a Bruno Mars concert at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The American musician is one of his favorite singers.