FC Barcelona have come a long way from learning their lessons when it comes to overspending. The Catalan giants had become accustomed to doing so at a point and it was not a good idea. However, Barcelona have now returned to their roots and it shows.
By trusting their young starlets again, Barcelona is paying tribute to that philosophy that made them as great as they are today. Formerly, many La Masia and Barcelona youth players formed the formidable first teams of yesterday. Now, many new faces are beginning to emerge.
The latest of such introductions is none other than Pau Cubarsi. As highlighted by SPORT, the 16-year-old Spaniard has just made his debut for the first team under Xavi Hernandez. In the latest game against Unionistas, he arrived at the halftime mark.
His introduction came as a result of a not-so-fortunate event. Andreas Christensen, the starting central defender, felt discomfort and had to be taken off. In his place, it was ultimately Cubarsi who came on and took to the field alongside Jules Kounde as his partner.
However, he was not just some symbolic substitution. Cubarsi lived up to the hype built around him within the subsidiary, and the 16-year-old delivered. Defending with great composure and maturity, he even delivered the assist for Jules Kounde’s goal. The goal, that in time, ensured that Barça at least kept a lead over Unionistas.
Prior to the game, Cubarsi had been called up by Xavi on several occasions. However, the player hardly featured in games and only managed an appearance against Club America in the Dallas friendly. This time around, he edged past another subsidiary favorite, Mikayil Faye, to be included in the first-team squad for the Copa Del Ray.
Originally included as a replacement for the injured Inigo Martinez, his inclusion in the match was quite unforeseen. However, now that he has showcased his talents on the big stage, the future looks even brighter for him. He becomes the fourth player, after Fermin Lopez, Marc Guiu, and Hector Fort, to make his first team debut under Xavi this season.
