Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara: La Masia Wins The Day Once Again

Those among my readers who can remember Mazinho, a Brazilian World Cup winner in 1994, might be interested to know that his son is now one of Europe’s hottest properties.

I remember watching the newly crowned La Liga champions, Barcelona playing one of their last league games against Mallorca. The team had a UEFA Champions League Final coming up against Manchester United in Rome (I’m sure everyone remembers that game) and had chosen to rest its key players. As a result, they were missing men like Eto’o, Messi and Xavi. Former Chelsea star Eidur Gudjohnsen was playing in the centre of midfield but was (sadly as usual) putting in a below par performance for the Spanish giants and was eventually substituted for an 18 year old named Thiago Alcantara Do Nascimento.

Since then, the young Brazilian/Italian/Spaniard has gone on to achieve great things. Last season he got his hands on a La Liga winner’s medal after managing to make 17 appearances whilst bagging 3 goals and 3 assists and it seemed like he would gradually work his way into the Barcelona first team over the next few years.

Thiago had other ideas.

The player about whom I have enthused to my friends since the days of Football Manager 2008 earned himself a call-up to the Spain u21 squad for the summer’s European Championships. I was immediately drawn into the tournament and watched Spain as much as possible, only to be amazed by their ability and how much of a star Thiago was.

Unsurprisingly, the Spanish marched into the final where they won 2-0. Thiago scored the second with a 40 yard free-kick and won both man-of-the-match and player of the tournament. The 19 year old was well and truly on the map having performed brilliantly at a tournament which has previously boosted the careers of players like Mesut Ozil, Luis Figo, Iker Casillas and Francesco Totti.

Following his immense success at the tournament, Pep Guardiola played Thiago throughout the 2011/12 pre-season, during which he scored another stunning goal against Manchester United and put in another set of hugely impressive performances, well and truly securing an important role in arguably the best squad in the world. He started the new season playing for the Barcelona first team and has been doing so up to now, January, continually performing well and impressing pundits and fans alike.

Another success for the Barcelona academy.

Thiago joined the club as a 14 year old from Flamengo and progressed from then into a world class player who has been the subject of envious glances from a host of the world’s other top teams (the 90million euro buyout clause in the contract he signed in the summer looks to have made sure he stays in Catalonia though). I think we can all agree that it’s a brilliant moment when a real gem comes through a club’s youth academy. If only this were the case with Thiago…

He is one of a huge number of players that have come through La Masia. More recently one can look at the instant impact that Isaac Cuenca has had over recent weeks, the goals that Pedro Rodriguez has scored over the last few years and Sergio Busquets having become a regular in the world-cup winning Spain team. Going back to 2005, the La Masia youth elite had a team in which there were 2 young Spaniards (called Francesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique) and a diminutive Argentinian with long, lank hair who’s had a reasonably successful career thus far…

La Masia has obviously played a huge part in Barcelona and Spain’s success. Six of the eleven which started for Spain in the 2010 world cup final were La Masia graduates and Fabregas came off the bench to set up Iniesta (another Barcelona trainee and now legend) for the winner.

Beyond that, Barcelona have been easily the most successful team in Europe over the last four years. Their closest rivals and arch-enemies Real Madrid, have no such academy to speak of: 166 million on Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso has won them one trophy since they won the league in 2008.

Consistently, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or, Gerard Pique is continually mentioned in the same breath as Vidic as one of the best defenders in the world, Fabregas’ endless ability is more than evident and Thiago, Isaac Cuenca and Sergi Roberto are all being talked about as future world beaters.

La Masia has contributed to a number of teams. Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta learnt his trade there, as did Liverpool’s Pepe Reina (often called the best ‘keeper in the Premier League). Luis Garcia Sanz (formerly of Liverpool) was a Barcelona boy and Brazilian turned Italian Thiago Motta was also trained in Catalonia.

La Masia has left its unforgettable stamp on many of Europe’s top teams. It’s a template for how academies should be.