Hansi Flick following La Masia closely for two months ahead of Barcelona appointment

Barcelona’s dire economic situation is one of the reasons for the revival of La Masia in recent years, and the club has only stood to gain from the same.

With young players once again given minutes and opportunities under Xavi’s tutelage, La Masia’s stocks have grown exponentially with Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Hector Fort and Fermin Lopez the latest beneficiaries of the situation.

Hansi Flick’s arrival, it seemed, could halt the promotion of young talents from the academy but the German manager appears to have a very keen eye on the Catalan grassroots level according to SPORT.

Effort of two months

The outlet reveals that Flick sent one of his assistants to keep a close and first-hand eye on Barcelona’s grassroots football matches over the past two months. He thus has a detailed report of the lower division and the players to keep a close eye on.

In fact, the report adds that his knowledge of the academy players was one of the factors that impressed the board, particularly Deco, at the time of his appointment.

Hansi Flick enamoured by La Masia. (Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty Images)

Flick undoubtedly maintains the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi to be integral parts of his setup for next season, but he is also enthusiastic about the talents in La Masia yet to be unearthed.

Xavi’s legacy of bringing up young stars, thus, is here to stay despite the managerial change and the upcoming pre-season will see a lot of emphasis on the same.

Three names identified

The German tactician believes that it is critical to give young players their opportunities, and is well-versed in the same having worked with the lower divisions of the German National Team.

Flick thus plans to take several La Masia stars to pre-season, of which three names appear to be finalised – Marc Casado, Marc Bernal and Andres Cuenca.

With the club’s financial situation not ideal, the new manager could well be forced to turn to the academy more often than not. Luckily for him, La Masia’s track record in recent times has been spectacular.