Antonio Conte amazed by Barcelona and La Masia: ‘They are doing something extraordinary’

Antonio Conte amazed by Barcelona and La Masia: ‘They are doing something extraordinary’ Antonio Conte, one of Italy’s most successful managers, has spoken glowingly about FC Barcelona’s work with their youth academy during an extensive interview with The Athletic. The former Juventus, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli coach admitted that he would love to visit La Masia to see first-hand how the club develops its young players. “They are doing something extraordinary,” Conte said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo . “Seeing these La Masia boys integrate so naturally into a team like Barcelona at the age of 18, playing in front of 100,000 people and making football look so easy, makes you realise how much hard work goes on behind the scenes in the academy. “They work in perfect harmony with the head coach.” Conte wants to visit La Masia Conte was particularly impressed by the way Barcelona’s youth system prepares players to make the transition to senior football, allowing talented youngsters to adapt quickly to the demands of the first team. Antonio Conte is amazed by La Masia. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images) The Italian coach, who has won five Serie A titles and a Premier League title among other honours, reiterated his admiration for Barcelona’s academy structure. “I would love to visit their academy. They have a clearly defined structure that is perfectly aligned with the first team,” Conte explained. To illustrate his point, the former Napoli manager, who remained at the club until last June, recalled watching a Barcelona match earlier this year and discovering a player he had not previously known: young defender Xavi Espart. “I was watching a Barcelona match this year and heard a name I did not recognise, that of the left-back (Xavi Espart)…,” Conte recalled. “The DAZN commentator said something along the lines of: ‘This boy only played four 10-minute appearances last year… this year, they wanted to send him out on loan.’ And yet there he was, starting the match and playing with astonishing ease.” Xavi Espart impresses with his personality Xavi Espart has caught Conte’s eye. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) For the Italian tactician, Espart’s emergence offered a clear example of how Barcelona’s development system can prepare young players to seize opportunities at the highest level. Conte also highlighted specific moments from Espart’s performance, praising both his attacking contribution and his confidence on the ball. “Anthony Gordon was playing out wide, and Espart was cutting inside. He provided an assist and showed great personality,” Conte concluded. The Italian’s comments underline his admiration for Barcelona’s ability to develop young talent and integrate academy graduates into the first team. For Conte, the ease with which players such as Espart can step into senior football reflects the quality of the work taking place behind the scenes at La Masia .