Post by Busby Boy on May 25, 2006 20:03:36 GMT
www.teamtalk.com/football/story/0,16368,1778_1244961,00.html
The Spanish and European champions invest heavily in their football academy but have watched Premiership clubs sign their rising stars for nominal fees in recent years.
The highest profile player to have left the Nou Camp for England is Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish international midfielder who played a major role in Arsenal reaching the Champions League final, but they have also lost Gerard Pique to Manchester United and are now on the verge of losing promising midfielder Fran Merida, again to Arsenal.
"We are a club that has invested seven million euros (around £4.8million) in our youth team this season," said Laporta during a coaching clinic in the Canary Islands.
"But we have a big problem with English clubs who are targeting our youngsters.
"Before they used to do it with French clubs and now it seems as though we are next.
"The problem is that English clubs don't have their own youth system and so they have to find players elsewhere.
"The British clubs offer astronomical figures to kids who are 14, 15 and 16, a figure that for ethical reasons we cannot equal.
"We had this situation with Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and now with Fran Merida."
The 19-year-old defender Pique joined Manchester United from Barcelona in July 2004 while Arsenal could sign Merida without spending a penny because of a legal loophole.
The player's parents had put pen to paper on a Barca contract on his behalf in 2003 - the club's youth players have to sign an amateur contract and a pre-working contract - but the contract which needed three club signatures only had one.
"The player has been on trial with Arsenal in recent weeks," the player's agent Joseba Diaz said.
Diaz, who was also the man responsible for taking Fabregas to Arsenal, added: "He is currently on holiday but he will not be returning to Barcelona."
Laporta is hoping that football's governing bodies can resolve the problem.
"The international organisations should regulate this issue," he said.
"But we are still happy because we can be proud to have almost 50% of our team composed of youth team players."
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Gerard Piqué was a great coup by Fergie and I believe he will become one of the World's best defenders during his career. Piqué has regularly commented that the reason he joined United was because of the opportunities he got to train and develop his talents with the first team, which doesn't happen at Barca. At United, everyone trains together which is one of the reasons United attract youngsters.
For Laporta to say Manchester United don't have a youth system of their own (Quote: The problem is that English clubs don't have their own youth system and so they have to find players elsewhere.) is utter bollocks,, Manchester United pride themselves on developing homgrown and foreign youth. I could understand if he meant that comment about L'Arse or Chelsea but that could never be said about Manchester United.
The Spanish and European champions invest heavily in their football academy but have watched Premiership clubs sign their rising stars for nominal fees in recent years.
The highest profile player to have left the Nou Camp for England is Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish international midfielder who played a major role in Arsenal reaching the Champions League final, but they have also lost Gerard Pique to Manchester United and are now on the verge of losing promising midfielder Fran Merida, again to Arsenal.
"We are a club that has invested seven million euros (around £4.8million) in our youth team this season," said Laporta during a coaching clinic in the Canary Islands.
"But we have a big problem with English clubs who are targeting our youngsters.
"Before they used to do it with French clubs and now it seems as though we are next.
"The problem is that English clubs don't have their own youth system and so they have to find players elsewhere.
"The British clubs offer astronomical figures to kids who are 14, 15 and 16, a figure that for ethical reasons we cannot equal.
"We had this situation with Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and now with Fran Merida."
The 19-year-old defender Pique joined Manchester United from Barcelona in July 2004 while Arsenal could sign Merida without spending a penny because of a legal loophole.
The player's parents had put pen to paper on a Barca contract on his behalf in 2003 - the club's youth players have to sign an amateur contract and a pre-working contract - but the contract which needed three club signatures only had one.
"The player has been on trial with Arsenal in recent weeks," the player's agent Joseba Diaz said.
Diaz, who was also the man responsible for taking Fabregas to Arsenal, added: "He is currently on holiday but he will not be returning to Barcelona."
Laporta is hoping that football's governing bodies can resolve the problem.
"The international organisations should regulate this issue," he said.
"But we are still happy because we can be proud to have almost 50% of our team composed of youth team players."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerard Piqué was a great coup by Fergie and I believe he will become one of the World's best defenders during his career. Piqué has regularly commented that the reason he joined United was because of the opportunities he got to train and develop his talents with the first team, which doesn't happen at Barca. At United, everyone trains together which is one of the reasons United attract youngsters.
For Laporta to say Manchester United don't have a youth system of their own (Quote: The problem is that English clubs don't have their own youth system and so they have to find players elsewhere.) is utter bollocks,, Manchester United pride themselves on developing homgrown and foreign youth. I could understand if he meant that comment about L'Arse or Chelsea but that could never be said about Manchester United.
