Barcelona beat Manchester United last season in the Champions League final (2-0) and did so with seven players from its youth. Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets were at the kick-off.

What secret is hidden behind the cultivation of this talent? In Dutch news site Voetbal International the Barcelona-linked pedagogue and director of ‘La Masia de Can Planes’ Carles Folguera tells that socially desirable behavior and professionalism is a crucial role in La Cantera, the youth team. “They have a growing discipline. Where it is all about respect. “

The core values of education are quite clearly visible in La Masia, the boarding of the club where the talents coming from out of town are located.
Folguera: “You cannot go there in the morning without saying buenos días. And if someone put too much milk with cornflakes, eat the cereal and leaves too much milk, I ask: ‘Why are you doing this? Do you also do that at home?’”

Valdes, Puyol, Iniesta and Messi were youth residents of La Masia, from the team that played the Champions League final. “Especially Iniesta has a strong relationship with La Masia”, said the teacher. “It is important of course to handle like that. If Iniesta is in my room, and a young footballer comes in, it does not matter. Regular contact with everyone is our motto. “