With El Clasico barely a few hours away, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to compete on various levels. Beyond just the first team and their rivalry, even the academies of both Spanish giants are quite revered. From producing greats to producing immortal moments, La Masia and La Fabrica are rivals in their own right.
Heading into El Clasico, SPORT has decided to put both the grand academies in a face-off. While La Fabrica undoubtedly has Madrid’s faith, La Masia has simply proven to be the unarguable better of the two academies. Here are five aspects in which the Barcelona academy dominates that of Real’s.
First Team players
While both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona incorporate their youth talents into the first team, the latter does it with much more consistency.
Many of the best players in the current Barcelona team have emerged from the academy and subsidiary. For Real Madrid, on the other hand, they represent a decent group of reliable players.
In terms of current first-team players, Barcelona have used up to nine from the academy. The likes of Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Fermin Lopez, Marc Guiu, Oriol Romeu, Lamine Yamal, Sergi Roberto, Ansu Fati, and Eric Garcia have all made league appearances for Barcelona this season and have contributed 5 goals.
For Los Blancos, only Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Fran Garcia, and Lucas Vazquez have featured. Their contributions in terms of goals amount to only one.
Players in La Liga
Beyond just Barcelona and Real Madrid themselves, the academy stars from both teams have also found their places elsewhere. In terms of players originating from La Masia, there are 40 players currently actively playing in the Spanish First Division.
On the other hand, 33 players in La Liga are currently from La Fabrica. Real Madrid once again falls short of their Catalan rivals in this aspect as well.
The Internationals
Being called up for their country is a special feeling for many players. The same applies to those developed and nurtured within the walls of La Masia and La Fabrica. However, international call-ups is yet another aspect in which the Barcelona academy outshines its Madrid-based counterpart.
Eight La Masia players have been called up to represent the Under-17 Spanish National team this time around. They will be traveling to Indonesia for the U-17 FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in November. For Los Blancos, four youth talents have been called up for the same tournament.
In terms of the first team of the Spanish National side, five La Masia players have been called up. Ansu Fati, Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, Gavi, and Dani Olmo have all been called upon.
For Real Madrid yet again, the number falls short of what Barcelona has to offer. Only Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Morata, and Fran Garcia made the squad for Luis de la Fuente.
Historic precedent
La Masia has historically created some of the greatest players to ever grace the beautiful game. While Raul is among the finest products of Real Madrid, even he pales in comparison to the products of FC Barcelona.
7-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi on his own is a great player to boast about. Developing the greatest player to ever touch a football is in itself one of the grandest achievements possible.
However, it is coupled with the feat of producing the likes of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Pedro, Cesc Fabregas, and many others.
Interestingly, La Masia also remains the only academy in football history to have all three Ballon D’or podium positions held by its graduates. Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi managed just that in the 2010 edition of the Ballon d’Or.
Style of play
On one hand, Real Madrid has never exactly been associated with a predetermined style of play. Neither the first team nor their youth divisions. Whenever a new manager comes around, the tactics and stylistic approach are based upon their preferences and the quality of the players at the club’s disposal.
For Barcelona, it is an entirely different matter. Playing according to the fundamental principles of the club is considered to be essential. This style of play is instilled into the youth of the club from a very young age. As a consequence, Barcelona has a proud tradition and identity to base itself on. Real Madrid, on the other hand, lacks in this regard as well.
