Barcelona Tour '24 - The Barcelona Way

April 11, 2024

This is our 3rd year of trips to sunny Barcelona and learning from one of the best sporting academies in the world. As most of our players play football and futsal, we have 2 days of football coaching and 2 days of futsal. Despite being different sports, the methodology is consistent throughout. The Barcelona Way.

Football

We trained on the astro pitches at the Joan Gamper Complex (La Masia), these are the pitches that current stars Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez learnt their trade and the Barça methodology.

From the outset it is clear what the methodology is. To dominate the ball and to dictate the game. Barcelona wants teams to be playing the game they want to play and ball retention is a massive part of that. Rondos, positional awareness, and situation games are how a session is planned. Every aspect is about dominating the ball, creating passing lines and recovering the ball as quick as you can should you lose it.

Even from a young age, the FCB coaches explain the importance of game awareness and intelligence.

Futsal

2 days of futsal followed the football sessions. Our first session took place at the new youth futsal academy home in Montjuic and the second session took place at the adult and first team facility at the Joan Gamper Complex.

The Barça Methodology was again consistent in dominating the ball and practice through rondos, positional awareness and situation games.

The Immersive Tour

With the Camp Nou under reconstruction, we done the immersive tour. We got the official FC Barcelona team bus from the Joan Gamper to the Camp Nou. This was an opportunity to learn the history of the club and where it is going in the future. The tour explains the importance of La Masia, something the club are rightly extremely proud of. It also reminds you of some of the amazing players that have played for the club. Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldo, Romario, Ronaldinho, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Neymar and Suarez... the list goes on and on.

There's also sections on futsal, basketball, hockey and handball, highlighting that Barcelona is not just a football club.

The Barca Methodology Workshop

This was our first time doing this workshop but it highlights everything about FC Barcelona and why they are More Than A Club. When you think of Barcelona you think of their unique style of play that arguably changed modern day football. The Cruyff philosophy is now spread way beyond Barcelona and Holland. Pep Guardiola has had great success using the same ethos with Manchester City and lots of other managers follow a similar philosophy.

The workshop also included a section on the club values and what is expected of a representative of FC Barcelona.

  • Humility
  • Effort
  • Ambition
  • Respect
  • Teamwork

The HEART values are seen across the whole club with staff and players being extremely welcoming.

Coach Education

Every time I come to Barcelona, I take something away from the coaches or sessions. It might be new exercises, tactical elements or just how they deliver the sessions. I believe that you can learn something from every coach you watch deliver a training session. Thanks once again to Roger Bonet Agut for allowing access to watch his Barcelona u19 team train.

Here's an example of one of the football sessions the FCB coaches delivered:

https://lnk2ssp.com/s/SFMWv/i/BP0M/x/nkT83b: Barcelona Tour '24 - The Barcelona Way

The Futsal Escocia Family

I try to make sure that the tour is not all about futsal and football and that families have a lot of free time to explore the city, the culture, and to create new friendships with our futsal family. Our players are from different age groups, different football clubs and are at different stages in their development but they come together as one. It is great to see the players and their families create new friendships. The ten pin bowling, cable cars, beach days, playing on the outdoor futsal courts, meals and drinks together helps create Futsal Escocia.

Now who is up for Barcelona 2025, our 10th anniversary of the club?

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