Riqui Puig, the new 'wonder boy' that steps strong in the Barcelona

It says the legend that grew with dreams imponentes, and that in the inferior categories began to stand out to base of dribblings indescifrables, a sublime technician and a vertiginous acceleration when approaching to the contrary goal. Never it had a lot body for this of the football, but yes an innate talent that carried him to stand out to early age between the big and, little by little, do a gap until turning into a myth so much for the FC Barcelona as for the Spanish Selection. It sounds them the history, truth?

We speak of Don Andrés Iniesta, the one who with his passes, dribblings and goals taught us that it can be one of the best of the history and also one of the humblest. It went in in the Barça without doing noise, and left of the Camp Nou by the big door, manteado by his mates and like the player with more titles of the history of the club, with permission of Leo Messi.

Well, estimated lovers of the football, if any of you had the opportunity to listen to Riqui Puig just after the party against the Cultural Leonese, sure that a smile drew him in the face. Acaso Did not remember them to Andrés Iniesta after his debut with the first team of the Barça, does already more than two decades? The same voice of teenager, the same timidity of the one who still has not achieved at all and the same ambition of the one who wants to it all, absolutely everything in this glorious sport.

"No it expected it to me. The illusion to debut in the Camp Nou with all the fans was incredible"

Riqui Puig hardly had of some minutes the Wednesday against the Cultural, but sufficed to confirm what already anticipated during the pre-season: that has some conditions of game inmejorables to triumph in the FC Barcelona. It recovered balloons, moved the spherical of a side to another with criterion and speed of decision, accelerated when it had to do it and, with dribblings endiablados, so much with the balloon as with the body, remembered to the same Iniesta to do space, see the desmarques and put an assistance of goal to Denis Suárez.

Only it was missing him do the famous 'croquette' of Iniesta, although it was ready when it snatched to the goalkeeper a balloon that traspasó the background line by very little. Riqui Puig ilusionó to the fans of the FC Barcelona, and did it besides with this special charisma of those who knows that, sooner or later, will triumph. The Spanish press, and also of the rest of the world, did echo of his official debut, of the same way that presaged also to a star in ciernes when it culminated big performances during the pre-season 2018.

Until Genaro Gattuso, trainer and mythical ex player of the AC Milan, undid in praises to him after the Milan-Barça in United States, ensuring that Riqui Puig would be a 'crack' as long as they knew to carry him by the good way. It seemed even that it wanted to carry it already to Milan to put him to title in the centre of the field 'rossoneri', very weakened in the last years.

A scene that, to some, also would remember them to when Capello, after the Gamper of 2005 in the Camp Nou, remained prendado of Leo Messi and wanted to carry it to Italy, although it was as yielded. It results logical that the understood of the football see in Riqui Puig something special, the innate essence of the one who can carry the balloon stuck to the boot without any effort, hide it and soltarlo to his antojo. But, who is really Riqui Puig?

Riqui Puig, hope of The Masia and culé empedernido

"No it expected it to me. The illusion to debut in the Camp Nou in party of Glass of the King with all the fans was incredible", said Riqui Puig moments after debuting in the Camp Nou, the club to the that assisted with his father from the three añitos, and whose lawn now already has the opportunity to step with the T-shirt of the first team. "Always I try to play of the same way, was where was. In the Camp Nou tried to show it, in spite of the nerves".

Nerves of beginner, that did not prevent him lucir his best qualities and back the unanimous opinion of the Camp Nou. "This boy goes me to give afternoons of joy", would have said the stadium if had voice. To finals of February of this same 2018 debuted with the filial in front of the Nàstic of Tarragona, and after shining in turns it veraniega in United States, now Riqui Puig already has debuted officially with the first team.

It landed in the inferior categories of the pertinent Barcelona of the Jàbac, as Sergio Busquets years backwards, and did not doubt in taking the dorsal '8', the one who there was lucido Andrés Iniesta until his farewell, during turns it North American. To his 19 years, Riqui Puig is the jewel of the Masia, the player that embodies better that any another the 'DNA Barça', with a technical inaudita and a vision of game that is a gift for his mates. "We expect a lot of him", it said Valverde in the month of April, when it already began to train from time to time with the first team. An anticipate of the illusion that has begun to generate, already, in a barcelonismo that sees him like the future successor of Andrés Iniesta.

Physical plan specialised to surrender between the big

The one who have seen to play to Riqui Puig, will have darse# cuenta that it is used to to be the more 'pequeñín' of which pursues the balloon. A species of 'atomic flea', as they called at the beginning to Leo Messi, although this allows him have an inferior train more dynamic and desequilibrante, what hampers to the rival defenders snatch him the balloon and allows to Riqui move with more soltura.

It measures 1,69 metres and, in spite of not arriving to the 1,70, the doctors ensure that it keeps growing, and that probably arrive to this minimum. In any case, neither it has why be a problem. Ludovic Giuly Already triumphed in the Barça with his 1,68, and can not say that the 'crazy bajitos' of the Barça (Messi, Xavi, Iniesta...) And of the Selection (Silva, Isco...) They have stood out primordialmente for having a physicist portentoso.

This yes, Riqui Puig is being still in the actuality a skilled plan to win muscular mass and resistance, with the aim that it can hold better the tackled of the rival players, as it did in his day with Leo Messi, Neymar Jr or Andrés Iniesta. In spite of day of today 59 kilos, and the aim is that it win weight in shape of muscle, although without mermar his speed and start with the balloon. Riqui Puig still is in phase of growth, by what the physicist is something that will improve of progressive form, and that for now does not have why prevent him follow developing in the elite, further that it run the risk to suffer some injury.

It wants to triumph in the Barça, but with the feet in the floor

Riqui Puig has clear that it wants to devote to the football of elite, if possible in the FC Barcelona, the club of his heart. In spite of everything, his family and surroundings more direct do not leave that they go up him the smokes, and Riqui is supported by the feet in the floor, conscious that to his 19 years still has not achieved at all. It is studying a module organised by the FC Barcelona, and is one of the more than 80 youngsters of the club that, beside a veintena of trainers, participate in a project of 'professional training', called Qesport.

It treats of an approach to the 'Rookie Program' that makes in the NBA with the 'inexperienced', and that includes five face-to-face classes of three hours, in addition to additional works in variable days through a mobile application. It allows to make projects of approximation to the marketing (own mark), trade, social networks, communication and other fields that interest to the young footballer in question. In definite, an opportunity to follow studying and forming academically, forgetting by moments of the external noise of the football. Something that definitely can go very well to Riqui Puig to keep him calm in Can Barça, although without losing the ambition that characterises to a footballer of his age.

Clause of 'crack' in the FC Barcelona

The situation of Riqui Puig is full of contradictions, because in spite of that from a part urges to the player to that it continue carrying a relatively normal life, has of a clause of authentic 'crack' in the FC Barcelona. It does some months, Riqui Puig signed the renewal with the Barça by three seasons more two optional.

It expanded the agreement until 2021 and established a clause of rescission of 100 million euros, the same that has another canterano as it is Chumi, a central with a lot of projection. Only it decided bend this quantity with Oriol Busquets, another of the big hopes of The Masia, that this Wednesday also played against the Cultural Leonese and has of a clause of 200 millions.

Bartomeu seems to have learnt the lesson with his young stars in ciernes. It is necessary to take care them and do all the possible so that they do not leave by the rear door. With Riqui Puig, given his win to triumph in the first team of the Barça, does not seem that this go to suceder never. A lot of spirit, Riqui. The future is in your hands.