The ongoing season for FC Barcelona has not exactly delivered the best of surprises. Constant injury woes, inconsistencies in the results, and uncertainty about the coach have all persisted. However, in more ways than one, Barcelona have been fortunate enough to have Xavi Hernandez.
Despite the early sensations of doubts concerning the Spanish coach, Barcelona are gradually beginning to understand their own faults. Irrespective of the financial backing he received, the coach persisted with the squad at his disposal that had lost certain key players in the summer.
However, Xavi’s alternative to ensure the stability of Barcelona regardless of their economic woes was to turn towards the quarry and academy. A proud tradition of Barcelona forgotten in recent years, it has now returned thanks to Xavi. Consequently, some great talents have emerged under the tutelage of the Barcelona coach.
One of his great discoveries of this season, without a doubt, has been Pau Cubarsi. His recent MVP performance against Napoli truly encapsulated what this 17-year-old defender is capable of. However, while this defender has jumped into the spotlight for most people just now, Xavi’s understanding of his quality had truly materialized as far back as last year.
In an interview with Jijantes in 2023 before the season had even started, as highlighted by SPORT, Xavi was asked about Cubarsi and how he rated the youngster. For the Barcelona coach, even before the pre-season, the defender was something special:
“He (Cubarsi) is a center for the future. He is already an international.”
However, that is not all that the interview unveiled. The Barcelona coach has himself come through the youth academy of the club before his professional career with La Blaugrana took off. He knows the ins and outs of the quarry and the developmental programs of the club like the back of his hand.
As a result of this, he spoke in that interview about keeping a close eye on potential players of the future, especially those who are close to the ages of 14 or above. Although simultaneously he did jokingly remark that he may have been caught off guard if he had been questioned about players even younger than that:
“If you asked me about an infant or alevín maybe I would be caught off guard, but we are very close to the training, especially those who are 14 or 15 years old.”
However, it is due to this belief in the youngsters that Xavi has rekindled the true Barcelona spirit. Even after he leaves, this legacy of academy talent he would leave behind would be key to the club’s sustainability. Once again returning to their roots, Barcelona may have found the secret to eternal life within their own soil.
