Catalan newspaper Sport reports that former Barcelona player and Icelandic international Eidur Gudjohnsen (31) may have moved  to French Ligue 1 side Monaco in the summer but his family – wife Ragnhildur, and three children have all remained in Barcelona, with eldest son, 11 year-old Sveinn Aron still reportedly playing as a defender in Barcelona’s Benjamin A team. Gudjohnsen’s wish that his kids Sveinn and Andri Lucas would continue to train in La Masia  despite his move to another club would have been fulfilled.

As he has stated in earlier interviews,  he believed in Barca’s time honored mantra of “receive, pass, offer” and that it would have been the best way to train his kids in the family’s footballing tradition.

“Here it is only 1-2 touch football by the kids played in a small area and very relaxed. For example, players like Xavi and Iniesta are raised at the club. They play simple football, hardly lose the ball and always seem to have enough time with it. They are incredibly developed in training here which benefits the progress of the kids. My son simply loves training here.”

“If you look at them, they learn very quickly about possession and control of the ball. The players who come through the ranks seem to fit in the system as soon as they set foot in the Nou Camp. Look at Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets. They walk into the team and are ready because they know exactly how to play.”

Gudjohnsen’s father Arnór, who once played with R.S.C. Anderlecht, is something of a folk hero in Iceland, having represented his national team for 19 years. Guddy himself is regarded as a footballing god back home. In fact, two days after his move to Monaco was completed, Icelandic TV channel Stöð 2 Sport bought the TV rights to French football and would only show games when he plays.

Incidentally, Arnór and Eidur Gudjohsen are the only father and son tandem to ever play for their country in the same game. It happened on April 24, 1996 in an international friendly between Iceland and Estonia  where Arnór, then 34, started for Iceland, and Guðjohnsen (age 17) came on later in the second half as a substitute for his father.