The two big Spanish clubs rely more and more on their young people to achieve their sporting goals.
Transfer of power. Wednesday night in Giusuppe Meazza, the youth of Real Madrid took control and guide their people to an unexpected victory (0-1). In a complicated meeting, it was Vinicius, Valverde, Camavinga and Rodrygo, the scorer, who took matters into their own hands and left their mark on Inter’s lair. A day earlier, the Catalans could not hold out against a much superior Bayern Munich (0-3). Despite the disillusionment, the Catalans ended the game with 7 players under 22. The illustration of two top names in European football, who are starting a gradual reconstruction around their young shoots.
In debt, declining workforce: young people, an obligation
After the departure of Lionel Messi and a perpetual decline in the workforce, FC Barcelona is gradually falling into line. Despite good phases last season, the Catalan club did not do better than a 3rd place in the league and an elimination in the round of 16 against PSG in the Champions League. In the grip of significant financial difficulties, Barça struggles to be active in the transfer market. This fact encourages the club to bet on young people trained at the Barça training center, La Masia and to invest in post-training players like Pedri in 2020.
A sports policy embodied by Ronald Koeman who worked to highlight the youth of Barça. “On is happy to be able to bring in young people. And we don’t do it because people want to. We do it because these young people deserve it. And they all prove it, Pedri, Ilaix, Mingueza, Araujo, and others too, all have a great future ahead of them. When I can, I give young people a chance, because they are the future of the club.»Choices mainly guided by the intrinsic weaknesses of the workforce. Thus Mingueza, Araujo, Pedri, Fati, or even Ilaix Moriba transferred to Leipzig, obtained an unexpected playing time at the start of the championship. This season, it is Gavi, Eric Garcia, Balde, Demir who have joined the professional group and thus rejuvenate the 4th youngest workforce in Liga a little more with an average age of 25.8 years.
Executives with absent subscribers, a patient youth
A debate spills a lot of ink within the microcosm of FC Barcelona. Should the status of the club’s historic executives, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, or even Jordi Alba, in a sporting delicacy, be completely revised in order to permanently install young players in their place? Two schools of thought are opposed on the subject, especially after the slap received against Bayern Munich.
For some observers of the Catalan club, it is imperative to separate from Sergio Busquets and Gerard Piqué as a priority, who have struggled to give satisfaction for a while. They also slow down the emergence of Araujo or Gavi, considered the future of the club.
Others also express their dissatisfaction with the insipid performances of those who have written one of the most beautiful pages of Barça, but raise the lack of experience and reliability of young players who have no reference at the highest level yet. Fielding a team of 8 to 9 players under 23 may seem risky and could have a negative effect on the natural progression of these talents. At the moment, the first option is preferred, which does not prevent Ronald Koeman from continuing to grant minutes to the club’s nuggets. This debate is surely only a matter of time, before Barça definitely enters a new era.
Real Madrid, a process that takes time
In 2013, Florentino Pérez suffered a major failure in the transfer market. Eager to get his hands on the prodigy of the time, Neymar, the president of Real Madrid is finally overtaken by the historical rival, FC Barcelona. A negative turn that probably gave ideas to the Spanish politician. Recover the future promises of world football.
With this in mind, he observes with particular interest the new pearls of the South American continent and sets his sights on Brazil. Despite the Lucas Silva flop in 2014, Florentino Perez repeated the experience on several occasions. Thus between 2018 and 2019, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Militao or even Reinier rally the Spanish capital against 170 million euros. A significant investment, which illustrates the ambition of Perez to obtain his famous Brazilian pearl. However, from dream to reality, there is only the ground which acts as revealer. For years, Vinicius has been subjected to a lot of criticism, Rodrygo struggles to assert himself as an incumbent in the making, Militao is a replacement for the Varane-Ramos pair and Reinier is loaned to Dortmund. Until 2021, none manage to pull out of the game, and fully justify the hopes placed in them.
The young Madrid guard takes the lead
At the end of the 2020-2021 season, Vinicius Junior and Militao finally gain a starting place. Indispensable profile on the front of the attack, the whimsical winger is gaining strength and becomes an option of choice for Zidane. Militao takes advantage of the physical problems of Ramos and Varane to become a captain of the rearguard of the Merengues. In their wake, the Brazilians become essential elements of Carlo Ancelotti. Federico Valverde, 23, a source of satisfaction for several seasons is talking about his speed. To symbolize, this progressive renewal of the Madrid workforce, Eduardo Camavinga, who arrived in the last moments of the transfer window, has already been decisive on two occasions. 1 goal, 1 assist for the French midfielder. As a symbol, this youth forced the decision Wednesday evening to bend the interists.
Performances that leave no one indifferent, as evidenced by the compliments of Karim Benzema. “(Vini) Che is a phenomenon, he is young, I love playing with him, we talk to each other a lot off the pitch and he has proven that he has his place in this team. Eduardo Camavinga is also very young and he will bring us a lot of things. “
Praises that call for others, as the youth of Real Madrid aspires to shake up a glorious hierarchy in previous years.
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