Along with Gavi and Aleix Garrido, he formed the midfield of the best generation of La Masia in a long time, that of 2004
Vic’s midfielder attends to SPORT from the other side of the pond, where a new adventure has begun
He formed, together with a certain Pablo Paez ‘Gavi’ and another such Alex Garridothe trident in the midfield of the best generation of La Masia in many years. Adrià Capdevila (Vic, January 12, 2004) was the ‘Busquets‘ for the two interiors that succeed at FC Barcelona, each in their own way. The first, indisputable in the schemes of Xavi Hernandez. And the second, captain of Juvenil A and the last to debut under the orders of the Egarense coach.
Despite his short stature – unlike the 189 centimeters he measures ‘Busy‘- capdevila He was also the brain, conductor and leader of all the teams he played for during his ten years in Barça grassroots football and he made those around him better. A small detail: he was recognized for the important role he played with individual titles, such as the ‘MVP’ he received after winning the International Promises League with Infantil B in December 2016.
However, last summer he made the difficult decision to change Barcelona for the United States to start a new adventure that combines soccer with studies. “The club has its bets and in this case I no longer entered into them & rdquor ;, Capdevila explains to us by phone after training in Oregon and a meeting with his tutor. “I went out on loan to Damm [el curso pasado] and it was a very nice year, we did a good job in the League and in the Copa del Rey, we even managed to eliminate Barça”. And he adds: “There is always a moment when everything ends and, after ten years, I decided to continue my path in the United States, although I will be eternally grateful to the club for everything I have experienced and to all the staff I have dealt with over the years& rdquor ;.
Adrià Capdevila in grassroots football
FOLLOWER OF YOUR FRIENDS
From the other side of the pond, and despite the distance, he closely follows the successes of his friends graceful and Gavi. “We formed a very cool midfield, we won many titles, like the Promises League, and we had a great time, we’ve always gotten along great. You could already see then that they both had a great future ahead of them.”
He has maintained a close relationship with the Catalan since they both arrived at Barça in 2012 in the Benjamin category, Alex in the ‘C’ and adrià in ‘D’, although from the following year they were inseparable until Juvenile B. “We live nearby, he in Ripoll and I in Vic, and I also know his family very well. We shared taxis for nine years and then a room at the Masia.”
Capdevila, Garrido and Gavi in grassroots football
He tells us that the debut of graceful with the first team -on April 1 in Elche- “he caught me in the supermarket; They gave me a link to watch the game and I could see it from there with my mobile phone.” He felt “very happy and proud & rdquor; from his friend: “He deserves it more than anyone, because he has worked so hard to get to this. I then saw the statements he made after the game and I made a joke when I spoke to him afterwards, but it is normal for him to be emotional in this way, he has spent a lifetime at Barça and feels the colors and the shield like few others.” “I also saw that Xavi I had asked him not to lose any balls… He hasn’t done it in eleven years and he wasn’t going to do it in a game& rdquor;, he adds between laughs.
“Aleix Garrido has spent a lifetime at Barça and feels the colors and the shield like few others”
ADMIRATION
With Gavi He continues speaking, “although not so much, he already has another life and it is normal & rdquor ;. But he is a deep admirer of his: “He’s very young, but it’s as if he were 25 years old and he does things like 30-year-old players. He’s intelligent, he’s very talented and the intensity he puts into everything has made him become an indisputable one of the best teams in the world & rdquor ;. He highly values his character, “because at Barça there aren’t that many players like that. He has that ‘I don’t know’ so funny about the Sevillians, he was the same in the Infantil and it is meritorious that he has not changed & rdquor ;.
and understand capdevilaIn a way, the ‘campaign’ against him by some circles from other clubs: “It’s what always happens; when a player does so well, the rival teams will always go looking for what they consider negative. I wouldn’t give it any importance, because if he were their player they wouldn’t say anything about what they say about him now.”
“Gavi has that ‘I don’t know’ so funny about the Sevillians, he was the same in the Infantil and it is worth noting that he hasn’t changed”
Finally, he confesses that he gets emotional watching Gavi on the field, because he is still the same ‘boy’ with whom he shared a dressing room for so many years. “I encourage him to keep it that way, because it is what has led him to be where he is now & rdquor ;. And he will always be there, even from a distance, to celebrate each of his successes.
THE ‘BUSINESS’, YOUR ALTERNATIVE
“We would all like to be able to make a living from football and be professionals, but not everyone makes it,” he explains. capdevila, who, always with his feet on the ground, is clear that “having another outlet as an alternative to football is very important& rdquor ;. His is ‘Business’, as the young man from Vic is studying business at Oregon State University.
“I chose to take this path because I had the opportunity to get a degree in four years at a very good university and I could also combine it with what I like to do the most, which is playing soccer. In addition, they awarded me a scholarship and that made it it made everything so much easier. It’s a totally new experience and different from what I was used to,” he adds.
“We would all like to be able to make a living from football and be professionals, but not everyone makes it and it is important to have another outlet”
The seasons in the United States run from August to December, and now he is doing the ‘Spring’ -like a preseason- with the Oregon State Beavers. He tells us that there “a lot of importance is given to university sports & rdquor; and that “the facilities, the fields, the trips… both conditions and infrastructures are almost professional& rdquor ;. You also work a lot on your physique, “because we play every three days. Those from here are much more physically developed and those of us who come from abroad is an aspect that we have to work hard to be in good condition.”
Adrià Capdevila in Oregon
Recognize capdevila that although “I go day by day & rdquor; He does think about the future: “I would like to become a professional here, in the United States, as quickly as possible. I know that with work and effort I can achieve it.” For sure yes.