Barcelona rank second in regard to academy-talent usage in top five European leagues | OneFootball

There is no doubt that since his arrival at FC Barcelona, Hansi Flick has relied a lot on talent from the youth academy. This is quite clear from how he first used Marc Bernal and then Marc Casado as his starting midfield pivot, as there were no new additions for this position in the last summer transfer window.

But in addition to this position, the German tactician has also not shied away from using academy-trained talents in various positions. The cases of Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, and Pau Cubarsi are quite clear, while the likes of Gerard Martin, Hector Fort, and Fermin Lopez are also playing important roles in the squad.

With this high reliance on La Masia talent, Mundo Deportivo notes that Flick has used players trained at the academy for 49.3% of minutes this season, and thus, Barcelona ranks second in the list of teams from the top 5 European leagues that use their academy-trained talents the most published by CIES Football Observatory.

UEFA rules define an academy-trained player as one who has spent at least three years with a club between the ages of 15 and 21.

The only team that is even better than the Blaugranes in this regard is Athletic Club, as the Basques traditionally put a very high emphasis on youth talent development. The Lions have played the talents developed at Lezama for 63.9% of minutes this season.

The rest of the three teams in the top five spots for this list are also from La Liga, with Espanyol, Real Sociedad, and Valencia following Barcelona in the third, fourth, and fifth positions.

This list is another proof of the high emphasis that the Catalans are putting on youth development. Most of the La Masia-trained players in this team are already key parts of Hansi Flick’s squad, and hopefully, they will once again mark a highly successful era in the club’s history.