Испанийн шигшээ баг Дэлхийн аварга шалгаруулах тэмцээнд түрүүлсэн нь тус улсын хөлбөмбөгийн түүхэн дэх шинэ алтан үе эхэлснийг илтгэж байна.
Луис де ла Фуэнтегийн бүрэлдэхүүнд Барселонагийн найман тоглогч багтсан нь 1950 оноос хойш нэг клубээс хамгийн олон тоглогч шигшээ багт дуудагдсан тохиолдол боллоо. Шигшээ багийн гол цөм болох 19 настай Ламине Ямал, Пау Кубарси нар Барселонагийн алдарт Ла Масиа академийн бүтээгдэхүүнүүд бөгөөд тэдний хамт Марк Кукурелья, Ферран Торрес нар тоглолтын хувь заяаг шийдвэрлэхэд чухал үүрэг гүйцэтгэв. Түүнчлэн Фермин Лопез, Марк Бернал зэрэг залуу тоглогчид ирээдүйд шигшээ багийн гол хөзөр болох төлөвтэй байна.
Испанийн хөлбөмбөгийн хэв маяг өөрчлөгдөж, бөмбөг эзэмшилт болон техникийн ур чадварт суурилсан Барселонагийн философийг шигшээ баг амжилттай нэвтрүүлсэн нь энэхүү ялалтын үндэс боллоо. 2004 оноос Луис Арагонес “Испанийн догшин байдал” гэх хуучин хэв маягийг халж, Хави, Андрес Иньеста нарын техникт суурилсан тоглолтыг нэвтрүүлснээр 2008-2012 оны хооронд Европын болон дэлхийн аварга цолыг хүртэх үндэс суурийг тавьсан юм.
Реал Мадрид сүүлийн жилүүдэд гадны од тоглогчдыг өндөр үнээр худалдан авах бодлого баримталснаар испани залуу тоглогчдын шигшээ баг дахь нөлөө буурч, энэ удаагийн дэлхийн аваргын бүрэлдэхүүнд тус клубийн тоглогч багтаагүй байна. Эсрэгээрээ Барселона санхүүгийн хүндрэлийн улмаас академийнхаа залуу тоглогчдод итгэл үзүүлэн үндсэн багтаа тогтмол тоглуулж буй нь Испанийн шигшээ багийн амжилтад шууд эерэг нөлөө үзүүлж байна.
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This World Cup win heralds a new golden era for Spanish football — one that follows a similar pattern to what made the national team world beaters the first time they lifted the trophy in 2010.
Barcelona’s influence in this Spain team is undeniable. Eight players in Luis de la Fuente’s squad play for the Catalans — only three World Cup-winning teams have ever had more players from a single club. It was the most since the nine players Penarol contributed to Uruguay’s winning side in 1950.
Two of the team’s main stars, the 19-year-olds Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, came through the club’s famed La Masia academy together. Two other players on the pitch for Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium were formed there: Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Spain left-back Marc Cucurella (who has just signed for fierce rivals Real Madrid). Ferran Torres, the winning goalscorer, came through at Valencia but has played for Barca since 2021.
The numbers are outstanding and there is sure to be more to come, with players such as Fermin Lopez — who missed this tournament through injury — and Marc Bernal tipped to be national-team regulars for the next generation.
Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona’s 19-year-old centre-back, won the young player of the tournament award (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
But beyond those figures, Spain’s footballing style is what truly illustrates the Barcelona influence on the world and European champions.
“Barcelona’s aim is not to feed the core of Spain’s national team,” a La Masia source, who wished to remain anonymous to protect his position, told The Athletic. “We want to feed our first team with players that learn our philosophy by heart. But a couple of things have taken place to make this happen naturally.
“Spain adopted a new style over the last few decades that is similar to our idea. And then, we at Barca have had a tendency to ease youngsters into the first team very organically. The club trust the academy, the managers do as well and young players get real chances in the first team. It is a simple thing, but it does not happen at every club in Spain.”
Until 20 years ago, the Spanish national team identified themselves as “La Furia Española” (‘The Spanish Fury’). It embodied the style Spain wanted to play — tough-tackling, with fast and lively transitional football.
Luis Aragones changed that after his appointment as Spain coach in 2004. He decided the team needed to be based around a different type of player given the quality at his disposal. He left out the country’s most popular player, Real Madrid captain Raul in 2008, and made Barcelona midfielder Xavi the conductor of his fluid and possession-oriented style. Xavi was surrounded with equally technical and skilful players such as Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva.
That decision to go from La Furia to tiny technicians produced instant success, as Spain won the 2008 European Championship and followed it up with that World Cup win two years later, along with the 2012 Euros (the latter two were won under Aragones’ successor Vicente del Bosque, who had previously managed Real Madrid and their youth teams). When Spain lifted the World Cup in 2010, they did so with seven players from Barcelona, more than any other side.
Xavi and Barcelona had a significant influence on Spain’s 2010 winning team (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
It appeared to have an impact on Real Madrid’s transfer policy. Their president, Florentino Perez, has long been known for his preference for galactico signings from abroad, such as Luis Figo, David Beckham and Ronaldo Nazario in his first spell in charge from 2000-2006 and stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka in his second from 2009.
After the triumph of Spain’s golden generation, Perez and Madrid spent significant funds on the most promising prospects in Spanish football. From 2013 to 2018, they signed players such as Isco, Asier Illarramendi, Marco Asensio, Jesus Vallejo, Alvaro Odriozola and Dani Ceballos — all of whom had played a big role in Spain’s youth setup.
But most of those players were unable to establish themselves at the top of the game with Madrid or flourish within the national team’s style. It did not impact Madrid’s success — they have won six Champions League titles since 2014 — but their influence on the national team has receded. The squad announced for this summer’s World Cup did not feature a single Real Madrid player for the first time (Cucurella’s move was made official midway through).
That is not for a lack of Spanish talent. Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras are both Madrid players who have featured for La Roja — in Carreras’ case at under-21 level — but they have yet to find the platform to truly shine at Madrid. It has been a different story for Barca’s Spanish youngsters.
Barca’s financial struggles in recent years may well have helped players such as Yamal and Cubarsi be quickly elevated to the first team. The same is true of Bernal, Fermin, Marc Casado and Gerard Martin, all of whom have played for Spain’s senior side or the under-21s in recent years.
It is hard to envisage so many La Masia prospects playing for the first team if they had the capacity to afford more high-end signings, but it has worked out extremely well for them — and Spain can only benefit.
