The La Masia departed vs the Blaugrana Legends – Battle Of The Squads: Episode One
By Jim James
La Masia. The academy of FC Barcelona where dozens of club legends have came out of. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, we all know them. What about the ones who left, never played for the senior squad, or if they did, never made a big impact on the club. What if we put a squad of players out of La Masia who went on to become FC Barcelona legends vs a squad of players who never did and got themselves in the history books for other teams. Let’s do that.
The teams will consist of a 23-man squad of 3 GKs, 5 Attackers, 7 Midfielders, and 8 Defenders.
We start with the home team, the favourites, team FC Barcelona.
The Reserves (6 players)
Inaki Pena(GK)
One of the many players here to make up squad depth that could very easily switch teams, Inaki has been the #1 on the “B” Team for a few years, and looks like he could get his big break with the big boys this season if Neto Murara leaves.
Ramos Mingo (CB)
Another squad depth player, Mingo is a new player in the academy for this list, coming to the Northeast of Spain in January of 2020. I wish him luck
Alex Balde (LB)
Another squad depth player (Sorry), Balde is among the most promising of our academy players yet to get a game in the seniors, Ronald Koeman has been experimenting him in friendlies vs Girona & Gimnastic, so maybe this is the 17-year old’s year.
Gabri (CDM)
A player currently managing a Segunda II side, Gabri played for Barcelona from 1999 until 2006, when he was sold to Ajax Amsterdam. Gabri made around 120 league appearances, a mid-2000s Sergi Roberto/Andre Gomes of sorts.
Pitu (CM)
Retiring this July, Pitu only played 28 minutes in a Barca shirt, becoming more of a UE Llagostera legend than a Barca one.
Alex Collado (RW)
Don’t worry, we won’t get many more squad depth players, again, I’m sorry. I wish Alex all the best with Barca though, of course.
Substitutes (6 Players)
Albert Jorquera (GK)
He was sort of like a Neto or Cillessen of the 2000s for Barca, being used mostly only for league, Copa Del Rey, and limited in the UCL. Conceded around 30 goals in 25 games for the Catalans.
Jesus Olmo (CB)
A definition of a journeyman, Olmo never played for Barca and spent most of his playing days for CF Reus & Elche, retiring January of this year.
Javi Martos (CB)
I’m sorry, this is the definition of a journeyman. He got transferred from the C Team to CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, then back to Spain in Girona, then to Malaga, then he left Spain to Iraklis in Greece, then he went to Charleroi in Belgium, where he spent 8 years as a reserve player, and then back to Spain with FC Andorra and his current employers, AE Prat.
Cesc Fabregas (CM)
Ah, our first real LEGEND on this list. After joining Arsenal from the U16s, he went back to Barca, Eric Garcia/Kays Ruiz-Atil esque and became a key cog in their success under Pep. However, his market value has been on the decline since 2015, and his market value today is a quarter of what it was when he joined Monaco in 2019.
Pep Guardiola (CDM)
All Barca fans have got to love Pep. He was a legend as a player & manager, and has stayed relevant for the best part of 30 years now, mostly for his FC Barcelona endeavors.
Ansu Fati (LW)
The Attack & Defense depth isn’t the best in this team, which has forced me to have Ansu Fati as a substitute on this team. Still, when he returns mid-September, we will have to see if the injury throwed him off at all.
Starting XI
Victor Valdes (GK)
A monster GK at his peak, I feel sorry for all those fans that remember him for his mistake vs Man U with Middlesborough in 2017, as he was the starting GK for Pep’s 2010 monsters, so if he’s good enough for Pep, he’s good enough for me.
Sergi Roberto (RB)
One of only 2 players in this XI still at FCB today, Sergi has always been our Mr. Dependable, a player that steps in when the gaffer asks him to, and will listen to the orders given to him, and he will always hold a special place in my heart for his goal vs PSG to complete La Remontada.
Carles Puyol (CB)
Speaking of Mr.Dependable, Puyol was our first. He was the captain before Xavi, and he just was a great Blaugrana.
Josep Moratalla (CB)
Never the first name on the team sheet but a dependable CB nonetheless, he was a starting center back in the late 70s, in the Cruyff days, a solid player.
Oscar Mingueza (LB)
I told you the defender depth was bad. Oscar is still a good player, but he was scraping the bottom of the barrel here.
Xavi (CM)
A top 3 academy graduate for sure, Xavi is a midfielder everyone should strive to become. Hardworking, low ego, a once in a generation passer, just sheer amazingness.
Sergio Busquets (CDM)
A loyal player who has stayed with us for years, although Sergi Busquets is getting a little old, he is still in the starting XI every week, and he has learned well from Iniesta & Xavi, and is doing well teaching Pedri & Gavi.
Andres Iniesta (CM)
It’s hard to determine Iniesta from his mate Xavi on the pitch, I mean, it’s indescribable how good they were. It was like Zidane & a Zidane clone on the pitch at the same time. Unbelievable how good he was.
Carles Rexach (RW)
He played 400 games, 100 goals, he was like the Leo Messi demo. Deserved club legend, a one club player, just amazing.
Lionel Messi (CF)
G.O.A.T. Next.
Pedro (LW)
He spent his prime under Pep at Barca, and now is at Roma being coached by Mourinho. It will be cool to see who he thinks is the better manager. In all seriousness, an underrated player who was there when we needed him.
We then go to the challengers; the La Masia rejects
Reserves
Jordi Masip (GK) Valladolid
A player who got his name in the loop with Barca, but has earned his reputation with being Valladolid’s #1 for the last few years, Jordi Masip is a very good GK, and his being 3rd choice says something about the Goalkeeping quality of this team.
Santiago Bueno (CB) Girona
Ok, he is a player to make up the numbers, but he is doing really well for Girona in the 2nd tier, and he could get back into a starting role in the first tier soon.
Pol Garcia (LB) Juarez
Although he started in FC Barcelona’s youth academy, he was sold to Juventus in 2011 and was loaned out every year until being sold permanently to Sint-Truiden in 2018, and now he plays for Juarez FC in Mexico after being sold in January.
Mikel Arteta (CDM) Arsenal (Manager)
He is a person who is in the news for anything but being a former Barca youth academy player, and it’s hard to forget that he was, but if you remember Mikel Arteta the player, you know that you remember him as an Arsenal or Everton player, not a Barcelona one.
Manu Trigueros (CDM) Villarreal
Like the goalkeepers, it says a lot about the depth of this Midfield that a player of the talents of Manu Trigueros is in the reserves. Over 250 La Liga appearances for Villarreal, he should be getting a statue.
Keita Balde (LW) Lazio.
Just a disappointing former wonderkid, Keita Balde was part of the youth academy that had to be released (more on the way), Keita just should have been more, but here he is, in the reserves.
Substitutes
Andre Onana (GK) Ajax
Almost halfway through his 12-month ban, Andre Onana is also part of the mass exodus of youth prospects, and we will have to see how clubs value him next February. He got into the public eye in Ajax’s semi final Champions League run in 2019, and again, says something about the depth of this Goalkeeping.
Xavi Quintilla (LB) Leganes (Villarreal)
The defending, however, isn’t as deep as the goalkeeping. Quintilla is a solid left back who can do his job, but Leganes, and Norwich before, that’s his level. No higher.
Alex Moreno (RB) Betis
He’s better than Quintilla, and played 23 games for Betis and can be a good impact sub on a top 8 team and solid starter on a bottom half team. Another strength is his versatility, as he can also play as a winger.
Take Kubo (RM) Real Madrid
There had to be a snake in here. I have no love for this player, sure he’s a good wonderkid and it looks like his career could bear good fruits, but I just dislike him, and that is an understatement.
Dani Olmo (CAM) RB Leipzig
It was a big debate for me between him and someone else I’ll mention later, but I do like Olmo’s game, his winner vs Atletico, and he is just a good player overall with bags of potential.
Antonio Sanabria (ST) Torino
He’s just a good striker who can score for you on a regular basis, a Danny Ings type of player. He is a 10-goal per season striker, and a promising one.
Starting XI
Pepe Reina (GK) Lazio
Don’t tell me you remember Pepe Reina from Barcelona, because you remember him from his Liverpool days and conceding to a Balloon. I’d say it’s hardly an argument between him, Masip, and Onana.
Hector Bellerin (RB) Arsenal
Who else remembers when he was the fastest player in the European Leagues and was supposed to be what Trent is now. He failed of course, but that doesn’t stop him from starting in this XI.
Patric (CB) Lazio
He starts for the sole reason that he’s the only true center back in the team, but he’s still a good player, but nothing special.
Fernando Navarro (CB) Retired
2 Spanish caps, 400 La Liga appearances, 2x Europa League winner, and a 2008 Euros champion speaks for itself. Well deserved spot in this team.
Alejandro Grimaldo (LB) Benfica
Why do I have the feeling that this is Grimaldo’s peak? The Benfica left back is a bona fide top 15 player in Liga NOS, and will probably get a transfer to a bigger league soon.
Thiago (RM) Liverpool
He would’ve been rated so much more last season, I remember when the FIFA 21 ratings came out and everyone was shocked on how much they disrespected Thiago, but it looks deserved, unfortunately. Still one of the better players in this team, though.
Thiago Motta (CM) La Spezia (Manager)
A Brazilian player who played his prime at PSG, Thiago Motta is criminally underrated. His situation is the same as Masip’s, he got into the loop at Barca but earned his reputation elsewhere, and he should be rated so much more highly by football fans.
Marc Cucurella (LM) Getafe
I really like Cucurella, and I’m sad to see him leave, he was the guy I was debating with Olmo to put in here, but Cucurella, he needs just 1 or 2 more seasons, and he can get his big break with a big team. I really like his game, especially his speed. Could be a mainstay in the Spain squad in the future.
Adama Traore (RW) Wolverhampton
This man is a freak of nature, I still have no clue how one man can be that fast and ripped at the same time, it seems impossible. His 92 rated card on fut is also amazing, so he’s just the full package in terms of football, not to mention that he’s played ST, RM, and RWB in his career as well as RW.
Mauro Icardi (ST) PSG
In his prime with Inter, Icardi might be the best (so far) of the players who have left La Masia. A 25-goal a season striker at his peak, he looks like he might be leaving the French Capital this summer with the potential arrival of Lionel Messi making him 5th choice forward, and he’s only 28, still.
Gerard Deulofeu (LW) Udinese
Alright, I may be stretching it here, but I needed a LW and most people remember Deulofeu as a Watford player, and he was supposed to be good, but unfortunately didn’t live up to it. Still a good Udinese winger, though.
Time to compare!
Here is the criteria used to compare the 2 squads:
Attack – 2 points
Midfield – 2 points
Defence – 2 points
Goalkeeping – 2 points
Depth – 4 points
Best player – 3 points
Starting XI – 2 points
Attack
FC Barcelona: Pedro, Lionel Messi, Carles Rexach, Ansu Fati, Alex Collado
The World: Gerard Deulofeu, Mauro Icardi, Adama Traore, Antonio Sanabria, Keita Balde
A tough one when I first looked at it, but this seems pretty easy now. FC Barcelona is the clear winner. The Goat, a 100 goal scorer, a wonderkid vs 1 former prolific goalscorer. Pretty easy 2 points for Barca here.
FC Barcelona 2
The World 0
Midfield
FC Barcelona: Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Pep Guardiola, Cesc Fabregas, Gabri, Pitu
The World: Marc Cucurella, Thiago, Thiago Motta, Dani Olmo, Take Kubo, Manu Trigueros, Mikel Arteta
While the world takes it in terms of midfield depth, the midfield is the strongest part of FC Barcelona. Easy 2 more points.
FC Barcelona 4
The World 0
Defense
FC Barcelona: Carles Puyol, Sergi Roberto, Oscar Mingueza, Josep Moratalla, Jesus Olmo, Javi Martos, Ramos Mingo, Alex Balde
The World: Alex Grimaldo, Fernando Navarro, Patric, Hector Bellerin, Alex Moreno, Xavi Quintilla, Pol Garcia, Santiago Bueno
The Defense is the weakest part of both of these team’s games, but while Barca has the better defender, The World has the better overall defense and depth.
FC Barcelona 4
The World 2
Goalkeeping
FC Barcelona: Victor Valdes, Albert Jorquera, Inaki Pena
The World: Pepe Reina, Andre Onana, Jordi Masip
This is a formality here. The World’s Goalkeeping depth is something else. Another easy 2 points for The World
FC Barcelona 4
The World 4
Depth
FC Barcelona: Pep Guardiola, Cesc Fabregas, Ansu Fati, Josep Moratalla, Jesus Olmo, Albert Jorquera, Inaki Pena, Alex Collado, Alex Balde, Ramos Mingo, Gabri, Pitu
The World: Dani Olmo, Andre Onana, Alex Moreno, Xavi Quintilla, Take Kubo, Antonio Sanabre, Keita Balde, Jordi Masip, Pol Garcia, Santiago Bueno, Manu Trigueros, Mikel Arteta
Another easy one here. While Barca are more, much more top heavy with Pep & Cesc, The world has more ballers on their team.
FC Barcelona 4
The World 8
Best Player (Best 3)
FC Barcelona: Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta
The World: Mauro Icardi, Thiago, Pepe Reina
The trio of prime Icardi, Thiago, and Pepe Reina is formidable, but nowhere close to Messi, Xavi, Iniesta. One of the most iconic trios in HISTORY, they get the 3 points here.
FC Barcelona 7
The World 8
Starting XI
FC Barcelona: Victor Valdes, Oscar Mingueza, Josep Moratalla, Carles Puyol, Sergi Roberto, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi, Carles Rexach, Pedro
The World: Pepe Reina, Hector Bellerin, Patric, Fernando Navarro, Alejandro Grimaldo, Marc Cucurella, Thiago, Thiago Motta, Mauro Icardi, Adama Traore, Gerard Deulofeu
It’s barely even a contest. Barca have the best players by far here, and they win 3 out of 4 position battles, with defense the only one they’re losing. Still an easy 2 points.
FC Barcelona 9
The World 8
There we go. The Blaugrana Legends beat the La Masia Departed and get a place in the 8-team finale. If you made it this far, I commend you on reading over 2500 words and getting here. I’ll see you soon.