FCBARCELONA.CAT

Eight youth academy debuts

In the Rijkaard era 26 players from the youth academy and reserves realised their dream of playing for the first team. In the 2007/08 season eight did so: Bojan, Giovani, Víctor Sánchez, Víctor Vázquez, Oier, Pedrito, Rueda and Fali.

The first was Giovani dos Santos, who like the second one Bojan Krkic, joined the first team in this campaign. Both were much used by Rijkaard: Giovani in 36 games and Bojan in 48.

Two against Alcoyano

In Barça’s cup tie with Alcoyano two more made their debuts: Víctor Sánchez and Oier Olazábal. The first played the entire first half at right back and the keeper was on the pitch for all 90 minutes, due to Jorquera getting injured a few days beforehand.

Four more

Injuries to midfielders and strikers enabled Víctor Vázquez, Pedrito, Rueda and Fali to make their debuts in League matches: Pedrito against Murcia at Camp Nou and the others in away fixtures; Víctor Vázquez in Huelva, and Fali and Rueda at Murcia in the last League fixture.

The first of 26

But there have been more than just these eight. In fact 26 players made their debuts under Frank Rijkaard. The first came on 3 September 2003. It was 1.45 in the morning with a packed Camp Nou for Frank Rijkaard’s first home game in charge, against Seville. After Ronaldinho’s amazing strike for his first goal for Barça, the fans applauded Ramon Ros, a young midfielder from the reserves, onto the pitch as the first of the 26 to debut under Rijkaard.