Real Madrid, Barcelona scouts banned by Real Zaragoza in fight against youth player poaching | OneFootball

Real Zaragoza have taken a firm stance by blocking scouts from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona from accessing their training facilities, reports Heraldo de Aragón (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

This decision comes as a direct reaction to a troubling trend: the increasing exodus of young talent from the club.

The report further adds that this restriction will also extend to Real Betis, who recently signed a youth player from Zaragoza.

The ban affects all matches involving Zaragoza’s youth teams, from the youngest to the senior squads.

This decision comes after Barcelona raided Zaragoza’s academy for two young talents namely Gorka Buil and Samu Borniquel.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid had shown an interest in one of their promising talents Alejandro Monserrate last year, but the youngster signed for Atletico Madrid this past summer.

Another Zaragoza teenage talent, Adrian Liso, was said to have been on Los Blancos’ radars a few months ago, but nothing came of it.

In a statement issued last July, Real Zaragoza expressed frustration over what they called “a raid on their youth players.”

The club criticised the practice of poaching young talent at increasingly younger ages, which they argue undermines their critical investment in youth development.

“the club makes a great effort and investment in the training and development of its players which, on occasions, is taken advantage of by clubs with greater resources,” the statement further added.

Zaragoza’s statement also noted the lack of adequate regulations to manage these situations, which leads to serious challenges for smaller clubs, impacting their financial and competitive stability.

By imposing these restrictions, Real Zaragoza aims to protect their future stars and assert control over their youth development pipeline amid the ongoing challenges of player recruitment by larger clubs.