Who is Marc Guiu? Chelsea transfer goal impacted Barcelona 33 seconds after start and is ‘outstanding’ | Football news

It took Marc Guiu 33 seconds to announce himself to the football world. That moment came in October when he was introduced for his Barcelona debut late in the match against Athletic Bilbao and promptly scored the winning goal.

He was then 17 years old and came from La Masia, the club’s famous academy. Guiu was asked to step in due to an injury crisis which had robbed head coach Xavi of a host of attacking options, including the great Robert Lewandowski.

The response was spectacular, more than his watching parents could understand, more than Guiu himself had dreamed of, judging by his reaction. He described it as “unimaginable”, but cautioned that he had worked for it his whole life.

There is some truth in these words. Albert Capellas, former assistant director of youth football at Barcelona, ​​explains.

“Now everyone is talking about Marc Guiu,” says Capellas Aerial sports. “But he came to the club 10 years ago, at the age of seven. That means the club had to wait 10 years before he could play in the first team. That’s a long time.”

In some ways, Guiu was an overnight success, instantly entering the public consciousness. He had not been tipped for the summit with as much certainty as the young Lamine Yamal, for example. But he overcame every test Barcelona threw at him.

“Every year, for a Barcelona player, it’s an exam,” explains Capellas.

“You have to pass this assessment every year for 10 years. That’s one of the good things about Barcelona. They’ve lived with this pressure all their lives. I can promise you that a player who has spent 10 years at Barcelona, ​​I’m a good player, that’s for sure.”

And yet, for Guiu, there was the complication of multiple growth spurts. At a very young age, this had an impact on his development. “He couldn’t play because he had growth problems. His knees hurt and he was carried for a long time.”

Unable to show his true qualities, he was not a regular in his Barcelona team between the ages of 13 and 15. “He missed a lot of games. He couldn’t practice.” It took real resilience on the part of the player to continue and patience on the part of the club to stay by his side.

“What happens at a lot of clubs, if you can’t train or play, you might have to leave. At Barcelona we know the level of the players, we give them time. We are experts in development. This means we don’t make these crazy decisions on young players.

What did Capellas and others in Barcelona see in this boy?

Guiu may not be the typical La Masia product, with the diminutive forward relying on close control and short passes to connect with others in the final third. In Barcelona’s academy, he was seen more as a penalty box player, much more of a modern-day number nine.

Capellas considers it exceptional, in its own way.

“First, we have to define what we mean by exceptional. Lamine Yamal is a different player. Exceptional too. But in different skills. We have to say why a player is special because Marc Guiu is also Gavi is also special. They all have different skills.

“Marc Guiu is a finisher”

So what are Guiu’s skills? What was it that not only propelled him into the first team, but allowed him to make an impact once there? “Marc Guiu is a finisher. He’s a deep runner. He’s a very good header. He’s fast, powerful, a fantastic kid. Very competitive.”

Capellas adds: “Marc Guiu is not a player who has incredible one-on-one qualities, who can dribble past players. He’s a different type of player but he’s exceptional in his position, in the work he has to do, in his mentality. He has a nose for scoring goals. »

He is exceptional in his position, in the work he has to do, in his mentality. He has a nose for scoring goals.

Much of this was immediately evident against Athletic. His goal, quick as it was, was the result of his second run over the shoulder of the last defender. It showcased his spatial awareness, intelligent movement, rhythm and finishing prowess.

“There was no fear on his face,” Xavi said later in the evening. “I told him he would have a chance. He had a chance and he took it.” He talked about Guiu having that spark, that something in him that makes a coach believe he can make a difference.

Guiu had only made his senior debut just before his senior debut, his progress having accelerated after a summer in which he scored four goals for Spain at the UEFA U17 Championship in Hungary. He finished joint top scorer with Lamine Yamal.

In December, he showed that talent at Champions League level, coming off the bench to equalize in stoppage time for Barcelona against Antwerp. It was a header from Ilkay Gundogan’s free kick, another aspect of his attacking game.

His first assist in La Liga was provided by Joao Felix, his first assist in the Champions League delivered by Gundogan. There is a lesson there, one that Capellas learned a long time ago when he worked with Barcelona’s B team and saw young players progress.

“When I speak with players who have been at the training center and who have had the chance to play in the B team or the first team, they tell me: ‘Albert, it’s much easier to train and play for Barça B than for the under-18s’ of course”, he exclaims.

“They are better players, more experienced, their technical skills are better, the conditions are better, the pitches are better. You are with better players and you are a good player so it is easy. When you go to the first team , the difference is even greater.

This may seem counterintuitive, but there is logic to it. “In the first team, surrounded by the best players, it’s easy for you as a young player. You are surrounded. When you get the ball, the other players are always available in the open lanes for passes,” adds -he.

“For example, when you receive a pass, it’s always a good pass. It’s never a bouncing ball. It’s always with the right foot, with the right timing, at the right moment. When you play in the Lower categories, technical skills and decision-making are worse.

“Marc Guiu’s goal against Athletic Bilbao. Why was he successful? Because he had João Félix next to him who could see the pass at the right time with the right speed on the ball. That’s why he got his chance because he had the players around him.

“Of course he then has to finish the action and he did it well.”

Life after Barcelona?

Guiu has already demonstrated that he can connect with Barcelona’s best players. As he prepares for a big move abroad, the challenge will be to show that he can replicate that understanding outside the confines of Barca, the club that has long been his world.

This reminds me of a conversation with Bojan, a former Barcelona prodigy who made his debut at the age of 17. He had to adapt to a different world by embarking on a globe-trotting career beyond Catalonia, which highlighted the difficulties this can present.

“It’s the best academy in the world. I believe in that philosophy. But let’s be honest, how many players come to Barcelona? So the rest, as soon as you leave, there are only a few clubs that have the same mentality Elsewhere, it’s completely different.

“These players are not ready to play on teams that don’t have the ball, teams that have to fight, teams where running stats are more important than what you do with the ball. It’s a different world. These kids are I’m not really ready to play on other teams.”

For Guiu, there are a number of reasons why this is unlikely to be such a problem. The most obvious is that he is good enough to be at Barcelona or to find a club capable of playing equally dominant, where he can use the skills he learned at La Masia.

Just as importantly, as explained, he is not a typical Barcelona player. There is more to his game, qualities that are more easily transferable. Guiu offers an aerial threat and is able to thrive when there is space behind as well as when that space is restricted.

After this sensational start, Guiu had to be patient. Since turning 18 in January, he has played a few Copa del Rey matches, a few minutes off the bench at home against Granada in La Liga and an hour against Mallorca in his first league start.

“We are all very proud when we see a young player get the opportunity to play in the first team. And then, of course, he has to earn it to stay there. There will be other tests. Marc Guiu is ready to do so. play one game, three games or five games.

“To be ready to play for 15 years? There will be more tests.”

It appears these tests will now take place at Chelsea.