Ex-Barcelona midfielder reflects on Ansu Fati’s brilliance and lessons at the club: ‘He will be back on form’ | OneFootball

Former Barcelona midfielder Ludovit Reis may not be among the most famous names to have passed through the club in recent years, but his time in Catalonia gave him the chance to witness the rise of several talented players.

The Dutch midfielder spent a season with Barcelona’s reserve side, Barça Atlètic, where he shared the dressing room with a number of young prospects who would later make their mark at the top level. 

Among them were Ronald Araujo, Nico Gonzalez, Ilaix Moriba, and Ansu Fati.

Looking back on that period, Reis spoke warmly about the friendships he formed with those players and revealed that they still stay in touch today.

“I played in the reserve team with [Ronald] Araujo, Nico Gonzalez, Ilaix, and Ansu. We still comment on each other’s Instagram posts and things like that.

“We don’t call each other every day, but we still have a good connection. Back then, before his injuries, Ansu Fati was also incredibly good.

“He was extraordinary. Unfortunately, things are more difficult for him after all his injuries. But I have every confidence that he will be back on form at Monaco,” he told VoetbalPrimeur, as quoted by SPORT.

A memorable move to Barcelona

Reis also spoke about the moment he joined Barcelona as a young player, describing the experience as one of the most remarkable chapters of his career.

Moving from the Netherlands to Spain at an early stage of his development exposed him to a completely different football culture and environment.

“It was perhaps the most extraordinary adventure I’ve had in my football career, moving from the far north to the warmth of Barcelona. As a young man, I learned and saw a lot. 

“Barcelona is undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in the world. For me, taking that step was simply a wonderful learning process.”

Learning from Busquets and Messi

Reis spoke very highly of Ansu Fati. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

During his time at the club, Reis also had the opportunity to train with the first team on several occasions. Those sessions allowed him to observe some of Barcelona’s biggest stars up close.

One player who particularly impressed him was Sergio Busquets, whose intelligence on the pitch stood out immediately.

The Dutch midfielder explained how different it felt to watch the legendary midfielder operate in training.

“What else can be said about Busquets? Everyone knows Busquets’ qualities. 

“When you see him in person, playing with him in training and playing positional games, you understand why people talk about him like that. 

“Messi, obviously, is in a different league. But I didn’t think Busquets was normal.”

Connection with Frenkie de Jong

Reis also mentioned his relationship with fellow Dutch international Frenkie de Jong, who was already part of Barcelona’s first team during that period.

Although the two players were usually involved with different squads, they still found opportunities to speak and share experiences.

“Frenkie was more with the first team, and I was with the reserves. We also had a busy schedule. He was also in Barcelona with his girlfriend. We talked, of course. 

“When I was in the first team, we talked constantly. Everything was going well with him. He’s a great person.”