.t
ffSPAINEstablished in1979 as a residence in
which to house the club’s young players
living outside Barcelona, the originalLa
Masia(The Farmhouse) has long since
been replaced by a state-of-the-art
training facility, part of the Ciutat
EsportivaJoan Gamper on the edge
of the city. There, the club’s young
protégées of football, futsal, handball
and basketball are trained, housed and
schooled in the Barca philosophy. In the
reception to the building stands a huge
photo of its most famous graduates,
Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi,
who occupied the top three positions
in the 2010 Ballon d’Or awards.Female students atLa Masiahad
only previously entered the building to
have lunch or study. But last summer,
female dormitories were opened for
the first time. Nine players aged16-18,
including Ona, live on the third floor of
the building, accessible only by facial
recognition, in single rooms outside
which their portrait is painted. From the
window of their communal living area,
they can see the EstadiJohan Cruyff,
the home stadium for the women’s
team since 2019. Since Ona made her
debut, her match-worn shirt has been
displayed inLa Masia’sHallofFame
and the positive social media messagesshe received during the game are
printed and displayed on the wall
of the female living room as an
inspiration for the others.
WhenWorld Soccervisits ahead
of their record-breaking Champions
League night against Real Madrid, Ona
is having private tuition to catch up on
the lessons she missed playing for the
first team away in Madrid the previous
weekend. Everything atLa Masiais
geared up to indoctrinating the young
players in the “Barcelona Way”, from
the dinner trays emblazoned with Barca
slogans to the pictures everywhere of the
likes of Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and Messi.
Now central among the rows of
framed photographs is one featuring
the club’s current Ballon d’Or winner
andWorld SoccerWomen’s World
Player of the Year, Alexia Putellas. The
current captain of the side, the Catalan
Putellas had to pursue opportunities at
other clubs before returning to play for
Barcelona aged18.
According to the club’s general
manager of women’s football, Markel
Zubizarreta (son of former Barcelona
goalkeeper, Andoni), Barca’s current
crop of world-beaters like Putellas have
known only a professional environment
since their late teens. The generation of
players that will graduate fromLa Masia,
he believes, will be even better, having
benefitted from professional training
and coaching since the age of ten.
The women who emerge from
the academy in future will have gone
through the five age-group teams now
established by the club. In the last fourSuper Alexia...a street art tribute to Barcelona superstar Alexia PutellasFemale students atLa Masiahad only previously
entered the building to have lunch or study.
But last summer, female dormitories were
opened for the first timePhoto credit: Asif Burhan