Lionel Messi’s son, Thiago is set to join Barcelona’s trial school for children under the age of six. The Catalans have their own school named, FCBEscola which is the flagship FC Barcelona school aimed at boys and girls between 6 and 18 years of age with its main objective being to provide a comprehensive training environment for their pupils.
Now, FCBEscola is looking to set up a pilot scheme for children between the ages of three and five, as reported by Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. Thiago will be one of the first children to join this academy with the trial scheme open exclusively to the children of players from Barcelona’s first team.
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FCBEscoles work via their own particular model, based on the Barca methodology which includes a creative and attacking brand of football and the promotion of positive values such as respect, effort, ambition, teamwork and modesty while attempting to extend the Barca model and promote the Club’s working philosophy internationally
Recently while speaking to Telefe, the television station located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Messi admitted that his son, Thiago, doesn’t seem too keen and that he doesn’t force his son to play the game. Instead, he is hoping that the pilot scheme will at least generate some interest in Thiago to play the sport.
Also read: Lionel Messi admits desire to return to Newell's Old Boys - his first club
Messi was a graduate from the famous La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy which holds around 300 young players and has been a significant factor in FC Barcelona’s success as well as the Spanish teams which won the European 2008 and 2012 Championship in addition to the FIFA World Cup 2010.
La Masia dominating European football
Over the years the academy has overtaken the fabled Ajax Academy as football’s premier academy producing players such as Francesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique, Pedro and has provided a steady stream of homegrown players. The epitome of success for this academy was reflected in the year 2009 when eight homegrown players were a part of the first team when Barcelona won the Champion’s league in 2009.
Also read: Best Academy Products: 10 greatest graduates of all time from Barcelona's La Masia
FCBescola recently opened their school in Mumbai as well where they have two facilities situated in the Don Bosco High School, Matunga and in St. Dominic Savio High School, in Andheri. The two centres will be under the supervision of the director of the FCBEscola Bombay, Albert Moratalla, who will be in charge of selecting, educating and guiding the local coaches, instilling the methodology and values of FC Barcelona.
