The paradigm that time (and Barça) has dismantled

BarcelonaDro's signing for PSG is the latest example of a paradigm shift that has long been underway at Barça, and also at many other La Liga teams. The midfielder, who came up through the ranks at La Masia, has moved to the Parisian club. in exchange for a figure close to 8.5 million eurosThe operation, despite the displeasure it caused Hansi Flick, fits with PSG's policy of signing young talents since Luis Enrique's arrival. In Barça's case, the equation that summarizes the commitment to young players is simple: the club is squeezed by financial weakness, which clashes directly with the fair play of the League, while at the same time La Masia is a unique and one of the most talented youth academies on the planet. All that's needed is a coach who trusts young players. In this respect, recent Barça coaches have paid careful attention to the youth system, in some cases more out of necessity, in others more out of conviction. Ronald Koeman, Xavi Hernández, and Flick have given players their first-team debuts and, most importantly, have given them confidence and consistent playing time.

PSG, which doesn't have Barça's financial problems because it is a club-state, As we mentioned, PSG has been investing in young talent since Luis Enrique's arrival. With a much less powerful history and squad than Barcelona, ​​they've gone after a gem. This isn't the first time: they did it with Xavi Simons. Now they've done it for the first team. The increasingly established trend is that the reserve team is no longer the sole intermediary in many cases, not only for players with exceptional talent, like Leo Messi in his day or, more recently, Lamine Yamal.

Dro, who just turned 18, is the latest example of this trend, which, in fact, dissects a statement made by Luis Enrique himself when he was managing Barça. "You shouldn't move up to the first team at 16. There's no rush. I would tell young players to take it easy. To their parents, even more easy. Let them study, let them develop. There are cases like Messi's that are exceptions because they already have such a high level that it's normal for them to move up when they're 16 or 17. The vast majority shouldn't move up at that age."

From Messi to Dro

Dro is the latest example of a trend where players with little or no experience in the B team are promoted directly to the first team. Messi, who played a few games with the reserve team or Barça C, was a rare elderlyand had a meteoric rise, but in recent seasons the list has grown considerably. Ansu Fati didn't go through the youth system and, despite injuries, surpassed 100 appearances with the first team, becoming the first academy player to do so since Sergi Roberto. Gavi (three appearances with the reserve team) went practically from being a youth player to a full international with Spain. Nico González, before leaving, had gained a bit more experience (27 appearances with the B team). A similar case is that of Balde, with 31 appearances for the reserve team. Lamine Yamal barely played three short matches, as did Pau Cubarsí, whom Xavi gave his debut after only nine appearances with the B team.

Marc Bernal and Dro's failed attempt They were Flick's main bets. The player from Berga had gained a bit more experience with the reserve team (31 matches), while the PSG player had only played briefly three times, the last time this January.. Fermín did gain experience in semi-professional football, with a season at Linares, while Gerard Martín and Marc Casadó played more than fifty matches: the former between Cornellà and the reserve team, and the latter entirely with Barça Atlètic. Pedri jumped directly from the youth team to play in the Second Division with Las Palmas.

"Due to the circumstances of recent years, it's now easier to play for the first team," says Ramon Planes, sporting director of Al-Ittihad and former technical secretary of Barça. "Before, it was more common to stay in the reserve team for two to four years to fully establish yourself. But this has changed," says the architect of Pedri's signing. "On the one hand, Barça has a very talented youth academy, and on the other, the market has become very aggressive in recent years, also with young players. You only have to look at the case of Dro. This also means that clubs promote players more quickly, so they see that they are being counted on," he continues. "It's become normal to jump from the youth team to the first team. Rodríguez went directly from the youth team to the first team, and this summer Como signed him for more than 20 million," he states. Planes concludes by noting that "everything has accelerated considerably in the world of football in recent years: from the professionalization of squads to the much faster decision-making process, also by the players' entourages."

From "haste" to social media

Carles Martínez, the Toulouse coach with a past at La Masia, also emphasizes the improvement in youth squads. "There are fewer and fewer differences in the way youth squads and first teams work. Obviously, there are differences, whether it's due to the type of competition, the pressure... But in terms of stepping into the first-team dressing room and grasping tactical concepts, I think the differences are smaller, but that's a good thing. It brings the demands on youth squads closer to those of the first teams." Martínez also believes that the hierarchies between young players and veterans have become less pronounced and that there is also more equality between the coaching staff and the players. The Toulouse coach also points out that young players are moving up "with greater confidence and less fear of challenges," adding that, since the explosion of social media, young players "are now more accustomed to overexposure" and the pressure that comes with it. He also mentions the recurring economic factor: "If you can't sign the players you want, coaches are increasingly giving opportunities to youngsters, and many of them perform well."

Franc Artiga, coach of Rubin Cazan and who spent more than a decade in the Barcelona youth academy, also mentions the economic situation of Spanish football. "With the fair play, One way to balance squads is by looking at the first team, not just the reserves. They have lower salaries, and the most talented players make the leap. Barça has always done this, but even more so now. It also happens at Valencia, for example. In contrast, in the Premier League, which is financially sound, it's harder to see." The coach from Cambrils also highlights the "rush" in modern football. "There's increasingly more rush and pressure from the players' camp: if a teammate has reached the first team, skipping the reserves, there are those around them who also want their own players to do the same. These are "structural" aspects of modern football. "The exception is in England, where there's money to go to the market whenever it suits them. Just look at Birmingham, in the English Championship, who just paid 8 million euros for Carlos Vicente [from Alavés]," he concludes.