FCBARCELONA.CAT

18.01.2010 12:12

Joan Gamper training grounds bring success

Edgar Fornós

The Barça first team has been training at the Joan Gamper Sports City for the last year. The new training grounds have nurtured the team’s great successes in 2009.

Who better than a group of Barça academy graduates to lead the integration of the first team into the Joan Gamper training facilities also used by the Club’s youth squads. Josep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and Aureli Altimira, who all came up through the Barça youth ranks themselves, knew very well what it means to the youngsters to be able to be in close contact with the senior players. “When I trained at the Masia and the rest trained at the new Sports City, it could seem that reserve team players were a long way from the first team. That doesn’t happen now”, Tito Vilanova explained.

“This close proximity between the first team and the youth squads is an added motivation for the young players. It makes them see the possibility of reaching the first team one day. Being able to train in such open spaces gives a feeling of tranquillity that is vital for our work”.

First team facilities

The Sports City had to be specially prepared for the first team. An area covering 300 m2 was built to include a press room, an office and two interview rooms. Dani Alves had the honour of being the first player to hold a press conference in Sant Joan Despí. A kitchen and dining room was later added to the stand of Pitch 1.

Unity is strength

In unity is strength so reserve team manager Luis Enrique Martínez is excited by being able to work so closely with Guardiola and his players: “The fact that the first team trains on the next pitch is very positive as it facilitates communication between the two teams and means that, if at any moment Guardiola needs a player from Barça Atlètic to make up the numbers in a training session, it’s much easier to organize. It’s fantastic. You can work here really well. It’s the result of a project of a Club that looks after the players”.

A positive change

The change of training grounds was a new experience for the players but not for coaches Tito Vilanova and Josep Guardiola. When in charge of Barça B, they already trained at Pitch 1 of the Sports City. Luis Enrique Martínez told us: “Pep saw the Sports City and was able to see for himself the advantages and rhythm of work that could be achieved. Before they trained on grounds of limited size such as the Masia pitch. To be able to work in such good facilities right next to Barcelona is a very beneficial change for a player”.

The best mirror

The youngsters from the youth squads have never been so close to the senior players. For the last year they’ve rubbed shoulders with the stars and Luis Enrique is delighted: “Although the youngsters train in the afternoon and the first team and Barça Atlètic train in the morning there is a direct relationship. For the young players to be able to train in the same place as the first team is very beneficial, as they can see they can go as far as them one day”.