Barcelona's new coach Hansi Flick inherited a generation of bright young players. Many of them have performed well under Xavi Hernandez last season. In the context that Blaugrana has not been able to solve the financial problem, this will be an important force for Flick to build a foundation.
As soon as he arrived at Barcelona, Flick expressed his respect for the club's philosophy, based on trusting La Masia and developing "homegrown" talents.
"I was very happy in the first few weeks. We have a lot of players from La Masia. We have a lot of great young players. We have to create this atmosphere for the players, to develop them and take them to a higher level in their careers. And that is what I will focus on," Flick affirmed.
In the pre-season, Flick has tested all the existing young players and assessed the suitability of each player. In the opening match of La Liga 2024-2025 against Valencia, 3 young players made their first-team debut for Barca, including Marc Bernal (17 years old), Gerard Martin (22 years old) and Pau Victor (22 years old). Marc Casado (20 years old) was also given a chance to start after a few appearances last season.
The way Blaugrana defeated Valencia with a score of 2-1 certainly could not satisfy home fans. However, the performance of the apricot stars left many hopes, especially Casado's position. At the age of 20, this midfielder shows maturity and calmness in playing style. In addition, Casado also had a few breakthrough situations with long-range shots.
Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal have not lived up to expectations to some extent, but it is understandable that both have just gone through a busy summer. Yamal and Spain won the EURO 2024 and won the title of Best Young Player of the tournament. Meanwhile, Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez also left a strong impression in the journey to win the 2024 Olympic gold medal of Spain U23. In particular, the name Fermin Lopez must be mentioned with 6 goals and a series of impressive performances.
Those are optimistic signals for the Blaugrana, especially in the context that they have not been able to register new signing Dani Olmo for La Liga. "I don't care how many La Masia players are in the squad, because they are all of great quality. La Masia's contribution throughout the summer is very important. They have developed very quickly in these 6 weeks.
Today, we have seen what they can do. These great young men have helped us a lot, both before and at the beginning of the season" - Flick said after the win over Valencia.
The brilliance of young players not only strengthens Barcelona's identity but also shows their ability to survive even when facing financial difficulties. Flick is clearly demonstrating the idea of a Barca built on the foundation of La Masia's talents.
