Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas has warned that playing some of their La Masia graduates too much too young could shorten their career down the line. While he had no qualms about their ability to play or handle the game mentally, physically he did have his doubts.
Fabregas was asked about something that has become a hot topic in Can Barca during an interview with Relevo.
“Age is not important. I experienced it firsthand, because when I was just sixteen years old I made my debut for Arsenal, and from then on my career rose to a level very rapidly. I don’t regret anything, although it is true that, by starting so strong, early and with enormous pressure… This means that when you are older, you may physically fall faster than normal.”
This of course feels particularly pertinent, given Lamine Yamal has just started his eighth straight game, most recently against Napolin in the Champions League.
“It has happened to me. I was a child, a toothpick, I was not physically ready. So, I gave a lot very soon when I was not yet ready, because I had not matured. I think that had a negative impact on me when I was over thirty. When I was thirty-two, for example, I didn’t want to see or accept it, but I felt that my body didn’t respond in the same way as someone else at the same age. Maybe, in that sense, it was as if I was 38 years old physically. I took great care of myself, yes, but genetically we are all different.”
The job you are asked to do on the pitch may also have an impact, according to Fabregas, which may perhaps ease the load on 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi, who plays mostly with the game in front of him. He did also finish with a note of optimism.
“Furthermore, a midfielder who runs 12km per game, with enormous physical and mental exhaustion, even more so. I did pay for this physically, but on a mental level I think there is everything. Yes, it is true that when you play for a big club there is responsibility and pressure, but these guys are very prepared. Look at Lamine Yamal, who has been in the Barca academy… He is so good that it is impossible not to include him. In addition, he is already used to playing against Real Madrid, Espanyol, United in these summer tournaments. Don’t forget something: at Barca you have to train, but also win. Since you are six, seven, eight years old you have to win. For me age is not important as long as it can be managed well.”
As Fabregas points out, with good management and the right genetic make-up, players can maintain a career spanning two decades these days. Yet there is also no way of knowing how the body will respond 10 years down the line, or how injuries may impact players. There are also many more games than when Fabregas broke through, and certainly it does feel as though players like Fabregas and Wayne Rooney lost a yard sooner, but others buck that trend too.
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