PAOK Academy technical director Dani Alsina also insisted on the word “humility” in his interview in the upcoming issue of Toumba Magazine. To be honest, it’s not easy to understand that this is a life stance. And the heads of PAOK Academy technical staffs realized it when they visited the La Masía installations. Not everyone can get through these doors. The members of PAOK’s expedition were treated to a unique, four-day experience of watching up close how this renowned sports academy functions. They shared knowledge with people who have been carving FC Barcelona’s future for 40 years and they saw that it’s not about talent –which is abundant at PAOK=, but about boasting a specific strategic long-term plan of work and the proper mentality. Yes, it’s true, success doesn’t just happen!

PAOK Academy technical director and supervisor of U20, U17 and U15 coaching staffs Dani Alsina, supervisor of U14, U13, U12, U11 and U10 coaching staffs Apostolos Papavasiliou, fitness training coordinator Dimitris Daniilidis, scouting coordinator Giannis Avramidis, goalkeeping coaches’ coordinator Dimitris Kryonas and video analysis unit coordinator Giannis Vlachos had the pleasure of visiting the installations of La Masía and the training centre of FC Barcelona.

PAOK coaches watched training session of all age groups up to Barcelona B, attended friendly encounters and spoke to their counterparts of FC Barcelona on their method at La Masía. The head of FC Barcelona’s academy Joan Vilà, coach and “master” (as his pupil Xavi Hernández calls him), spoke to PAOK staff about their way of doing things, the very specific strategic plan they faithfully apply –a plan subject to constant amendments and improvement, as football is evolving, but never gets derailed from the main idea, from the common working philosophy.

“It’s all about football”. That is the main idea. With lots of work, method, patience, calmness and humility, all age groups are trained on FC Barcelona’s style of play, in perfect harmony and collaboration with the senior side. For FC Barcelona, their academy is extremely important. Because the natural flow of events is for a kid to go from the academy all the way to the senior side. And it usually happens.

The visitors also spoke with Paco Seirul-lo, the so-called guru of fitness training at FC Barcelona and “master” of Pep Guardiola. “It’s definitely worth exchanging 20 passes, regardless if they lead to a goal or not. Why? It’s simple. Because 20 people got to have fun in the process”, Seirul-lo said recently in a convention.

Talking to the head of goalkeeping coaches Ricard Segarra also proved highly interesting.
 

This valuable experience, the introduction to know-how of the highest level will help the PAOK Academy become even more demanding and methodical in their work…

The special… mentality of La Masía

La Masía (farmhouse, in Spanish) was an old cottage built in 1702. When Camp Nou was inaugurated, the building of La Masía was revamped and expanded in order to host the club’s offices. As the club were growing, the building proved too small for office space. On 20 October 1979, La Masía turned into a dorm for young players from the outskirts of Barcelona until 30 June 2011. On that day, in a simple, yet moving ceremony, the doors of the cottage closed and the Masía Centre de Formació Oriol Tort in the training centre Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper took over the accommodation of the young athletes.

• About 90 children are living in the dorms. Foreign players are allowed there after they turn 16. Apart from footballers, there are also basketball, volleyball and hockey players.
• Players over 16 train in the morning and attend evening school.
• There are ten pitches, hosting training sessions of the U8s up to the senior side.
• If one could watch training from a height, they would see specific drills held in the same manner, at the same time, for all age groups.
• All training drills include ball, in realistic game simulation.
• If a player needs more work, it is held individually.
• La Masía people have developed their own lingo. For example, coaches don’t say ‘attack’, but ‘possession phase’.
• Apart from school attendance, players also count on the auxiliary assistance of many teachers at the academy.
• Τhere is also a pedagogue available for anyone who might need him, at any time.
• There are many actions organized in the academy. Recently Lilian Thuram came to speak about racism, while Andrés Iniesta and Sergi Busquets spoke to the young players about the value of patience and humility.
• Children coming from abroad follow the educational system of their own country.
• There is a special handler of the sprinklers in the pitches, in order to control the water flow to the part where training will be held.
• Taxi drivers taking the children to their school or other activities are always the same. They are also given courses and specific guidelines on how to speak to the children.
• Wi-Fi gets turned off at 23:00.