Ansu Fati has emerged as one of the most gifted players to come out of La Masia academy in recent years. Currently donning the number ten shirt for Barcelona, the youngster has his whole career ahead of him, with many expecting him to become the next face of the club’s attack.
In a recent interview with France Football, Fati offered key insights into his early footballing career, notably explaining the reason why he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid.
The winger from Guinea-Bissau had arrived in Spain at the age of just nine. He had started out with a stint at Herrera and spent time at Sevilla’s academy, before eventually trialling with the Real Madrid youth setup.
However, a lack of residence for youth players at Los Blancos’ academy made him choose a move to Barcelona in 2012.
And, Fati has also admitted he was apprehensive about joining the Barcelona academy, but insists it was one of the best decisions he had ever made in his life.
“I remember seeing La Masia in the background, shortly before arriving. The closer we got, the more nervous I felt. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to come, and, after a week, I didn’t want to leave,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“Marc Serra, my first coach at La Masia, quickly made me understand which club I had landed at and that, during matches, I had to respect my rivals,” he further recalled.
Since making his breakthrough in the Barcelona first-team, Fati has featured in 78 competitive matches for the Catalans, scoring 22 times in the process.
Although the forward had started the 2022/23 campaign on a slow note, Fati will be hoping to catch up during the second half of the season, starting from the Catalan derby on December 31, when Barcelona host Espanyol at Spotify Camp Nou.
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