When La Masia is a source of inspiration for Real Madrid

BarcelonaThe signing of Marc Cucurella by Real Madrid has not only caused a stir due to his past as a Barcelona player, but it has also brought to light a list with so few names that it has only increased on two occasions in the last two decades. While it is true that we find notable cases of footballers who, in their professional careers, have worn both the Barça and the white team's jersey – Zamora, Schuster, Hagi, Lopetegui, Prosinecki, Laudrup, Figo, Luis Enrique, Alfonso Pérez, Ronaldo Nazário, Eto'o, Saviola, and Marcos Alonso–, the list of players raised at La Masia who have become professionals for the white team is shorter.

Cucurella joined Barça's lower categories in 2012, at 14 years old, coming from Espanyol's youth academy, a trend that is indeed common in the formative years of footballers. He stayed there until he was 20, passing through the cadet, youth, and reserve teams before being loaned out to Eibar in 2018. Ernesto Valverde never trusted him enough as a replacement for Jordi Alba, and the bet was placed on Juan Miranda, who also ended up packing his bags. From the sports management of that time, they also did not fight hard enough for him, neither when he was loaned to Eibar in 2018 – the Basques would sign him exercising a purchase option of two million euros – nor when he had the option to return: Barça bought him back (for four million) not to play him, but for economic reasons, and loaned him out and subsequently sold him to Getafe for 12 million.

Finally, in 2021, the Madrid club transferred him to Brighton for 18 million. Just one season later, the summer of 2022 was key for his definitive leap to the elite. Pep Guardiola wanted to sign him for City, but the "citizenThe footballer had been in Barça's orbit

The footballer had been in Barça's orbit, but it was an option dependent on Balde's departure, who had an irregular performance last season. The blaugrana team's economic situation means they have less room to manoeuvre. Although Cucurella has never made grand declarations of love for Barça – he did call it the "best club in the world" when he debuted, on October 24, 2017, against Real Murcia in the Copa – his latest public statements, at the end of March, were along the lines of a hypothetical return to Barcelona.

In a press conference when he was with the Spanish national team, he was asked what he would do if Barça called him to sign him. "If these situations arise, they are difficult to refuse, but I would have to consider it. In the end, it's not just about me, I also have to think about my family, decide together what is best for us," he said. When his signing for Los Blancos was made public on Monday, his wife, Claudia Rodríguez, posted a picture on Instagram of herself as a child wearing the Madrid kit with the caption: "I explode with pride and happiness, let the adventure begin."

Marc Cucurella's predecessors

Since 2021, Real Madrid had not signed a player trained at Barça. This is Víctor Muñoz. After passing through the youth academies of Sant Gabriel, Barça, Damm, and Madrid, the Whites sold him to Osasuna, where he has blossomed and both the Blaugranas and Madridistas have shown interest in his return, but it seems he will make the leap to the Premier League. Muñoz debuted in La Liga, precisely in a classic against Barça, last season.

There are only two more precedents corresponding to the 21st century: Take Kubo – who could not continue at La Masia due to changes in FIFA regulations regarding foreign minors – signed for the white team in 2019, but never made his debut. The Japanese player went on loan to Mallorca, Villarreal, and Getafe before being permanently transferred to Real Sociedad. Albert Celades, after training at Barça and spending four seasons in the first team, signed for the whites in 2000 after a good season at Celta.

The rest of the cases are much more blurred in time: Luis Milla signed for Madrid in 1990; Justo Tejada in 1961, and Josep Samitier, one of the most talked-about cases due to his link with Barça, played for the whites between 1933 and 1935. The first of all was Alfonso Albéniz, in 1902, who swapped Barcelona for Madrid to complete his studies at a time when football had much less relevance.