‘They are prepared’ – Barcelona co-ordinator discusses the explosion of Cubarsi, Yamal

Barcelona have had a rollercoaster ride this season. From struggling to perform in La Liga to sealing a place in the Champions League quarterfinals, the fans have seen it all.

But regardless of whether or not Barcelona end the campaign without a trophy, the season will always be remembered for the explosion of multiple La Masia talents.

From that list, Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal, in particular, are the standout performers. Both youngsters have become an ever-present figure in the starting eleven and were even rewarded with a call-up for Spain in the upcoming friendlies.

In light of Cubarsi and Yamal’s rapid rise to prominence, former Barcelona player Bojan Krkic stressed the need to ‘secure’ the youngsters from the plight of social media and modern-day distractions.

Bojan is currently employed by Barcelona as the club’s football co-ordinator. One of his duties is to help transition youngsters coming through the academy to senior football, which he has been doing with Yamal.

“We are normalizing something that is not normal, putting so much responsibility on 16-17 year old boys,” Bojan reflected (h/t SPORT).

“Socially and in the media they are very exposed. We all have to take care of these boys. These children, we could say. If we talk about quality, they are prepared.“

Bojan himself was regarded as one of Barcelona’s best prospects. However, he was unable to live up to his expectations, perhaps due to the same points he raised.

 “I started very young, there have been sixteen seasons and one must know when a stage ends. Obviously, I could have continued playing, physically I am fine,” he said.

Bojan was notably asked about the possibility of playing for Girona. He responded, “There was that possibility. I am very much from home, very Catalan, and Girona is a fantastic place.

“When the possibility of playing for Girona came up, I always showed the will to make it possible. I assure you that it was not my decision. If it had been up to me, I would have come.”

Talking about being branded as a ‘failure’, Bojan added, “In the end, the line that separates success from failure is relative. No one is going to take from me what I have achieved, and no one knows what I had to go through to achieve it.”

Finally, Bojan revealed the player he admired the most during his career – Ronaldinho.

“He is the most magical player I have ever seen. He had the most complete qualities that a player can have. Accompanied by a joy and a magic that I have not seen in anyone else,” he said.

Bojan is currently serving as the chief co-ordinator of the Barcelona board and is responsible for tracking the progress of players who are out on loan from Barça this season.