FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.05.2010 16:40

Another record for Pedro

Marc Guillén

Pedro broke another record this season with his 12 league goals – the highest of any home-grown player in just their second season. A total that beats even Leo Messi’s effort.

Pedro has had the most successful second season of any Barca academy youngster in terms of goals scored in the league since the competition started in 1928. However, if we delve back to the 30’s and 40’s there are a couple of players who can claim to have emulated Pedro’s achievement.

Mariano Martín scored 12 goals in the 1940/41 season while Josep Escolà scored 13 in the 1935/36 season. However, at that time there was no Barca youth system as we understand it today and these two players joined the Club from other local Barcelona teams.

Not even Messi

Lionel Messi scored 6 league goals in his second season compared to Pedro’s 12 though Messi was younger and played less than half than Pedro - Messi 914 minutes and Pedro 2,123. In his third season, the Argentine forward scored 14 goals.

Illustrious predecessors

Looking back at the stats of some of Pedro’s illustrious predecessors enhances his achievement even more. Asensi scored 11 goals in his second season, 1971/72, but played more than Pedro (2,889 minutes). Manchón scored 9 goals in the 1950/51 season in about the same time on the pitch (1,871) while Rexach scored twice in the 1968/69 season in 1,260 minutes.