THE DEATH OF LA MASIA
In December 2012, FourFourTwo met Victor Valdes for the very first time at Barcelona’s new training ground. A month earlier, the Catalan Masia graduate had featured in an away game at Levante when, in another first, the 11 players on the pitch were products of Barça’s fabled academy. The goalkeeper was understandably extremely proud.
“You can’t ask for any more than 11 players who have come through the youth system,” he beamed. “It’s something all the other great teams in the world should aim for. Why not? You don’t have to make big signings to have a great club.
“This is the result of work that had been done 15 to 20 years before – it didn’t happen overnight. The people they owe this to are not at the club now. I received a lot of messages from old coaches after the game. They were part of the success, too.”
The roll call was formidable: Valdes, Montoya, Pique, Puyol, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Fabregas, Pedro, Iniesta and Messi – and they eased to a 4-0 victory at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia.
More graduates from La Masia were on the bench. The coach was Tito Vilanova, himself a former Masia student who became the No.2 to Pep Guardiola’s first managerial successes. The Catalans’ training complex is now named after Vilanova, who died from cancer in 2014.
The training ground, situated five miles from the Camp Nou in the Llobregat river valley, is better equipped than the true Masia: a former farmhouse (the literal translation of ‘Masia’ in Catalan) which still stands outside Barcelona’s famous stadium. As recently as 2007, tourists on buses could see Barça’s first team training right outside the ground.
The conditions were cramped, and Barcelona were one of several clubs to upgrade to more modern, spacious facilities. Their new training ground isn’t as grand as Real Madrid’s, but still houses 84 prospects in a building which looks like an Ibis hotel. Rather than pictures of fruit or lush forests on its
