One goalkeeper, two defenders, two midfielders, a winger and a forward are the reinforcements that Eusebio will have from Juvenil A for next season. Bañuz, Ayala, Grimaldo, Patric, Miguel Ángel, Quintillà, and Dongou are the seven players chosen for promotion to Barça B.

Miguel Bañuz: Born in Elche. Will turn 19 on June 26. This was his first season with Barça after transferring from Elche. Bañuz has been the first choice ‘keeper for Juvenil A this season.

Sergio Ayala: Born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat 19 years ago, he signed for Barça at the benjamí age (9-10). Since then he has passed through all of the blaugrana’s youth team levels. He is a left footed central defender who in previous years has combined his position in the center with that of left back.

Alejandro Grimaldo: A very fast left back, outstanding in both defensive as well as offensive duties. This was his fourth season with FC Barcelona after arriving from València. This player from Valencia is the youngest of the seven promoted players, as he won’t turn 17 until September. Grimaldo debuted with the B team last season on the 4th of September, playing the full 90 minutes against Cartagena and contributing to the 0-4 victory for the blaugrana. A more detailed profile of Grimaldo can be found here.

Patricio Gabarrón: The player from Mula, Múrcia, has spent four years playing in the youth ranks of the Club. Coming from Villarreal, this 19 year old footballer plays as an interior [defensive midfielder] but can also adapt to the position of a more attacking midfielder. This past season, Patric alternated between training with Juvenil A and Barça B and has adapted to Eusebio’s requirements, although he has not debuted in an official match yet.

Miguel Ángel Sainz-Maza: A player from Racing Santander, this has been his first season at the Club. Miguel Ángel, 19 years old, is a “media punta” that can play on either wing or also as a false ’9′ who stands out for his free kicks.

Jordi Quintillà: The player from Lleida has completed his second season with FC Barcelona’s Juvenil A squad. At 19 years of age, he plays on the inside left, although he can play in other positions in the center of the pitch.

Jean-Marie Dongou: The Cameroonian player is only 17 years old and has already spent time with the Barça B squad during multiple parts of last season. He participated in 12 games in the Liga Adelante [second division] with a total of 125 minutes played and 2 goals scored. Dongou is a very prolific ‘9’ and the four years he has spent at FC Barcelona have been marked by the great number of goals he has scored at each youth level in which he has played.

Stayed tuned to totalBarça this summer for more detailed profiles of these players, as well as several others.

Departures for next season

These seven players will replace, in part, the losses of central defender Armando, midfielder Martí Riverola and goalkeeper Rubén Miño, who will not continue with Barça B next season. These three players were well regarded in the dressing room and were, besides being good players, outstanding for their human qualities. Armando was the captain and helped many of his younger teammates to grow as footballers in his three years with the team. Miño and Riverola depart after having been at the club from an early age. In addition to these three players, also bidding goodbye to the Club is the team’s physical trainer, José Ramón Callén, who has worked with the blaugrana reserves for the last four seasons.

Source and Image: fcbarcelona.cat