FC Barcelona fans and pundits worldwide are excited about Riqui Puig, the latest rising star to emerge from their club's La Masia academy, and with the help of new manager Quique Setien, he will be hoping to follow in Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta's footsteps.
Many around the Camp Nou expect locally-born Puig to bring a new injection of "Barca DNA" into a midfield previously graced by multiple LaLiga winners Xavi and Iniesta. Like those famous La Masia graduates, Puig is not the biggest – just 1.69m – but has the natural talent, vision and personality to dictate a game.
Ricard "Riqui" Puig Marti was born on 13 August 1999 in Matadepera, a town located very close to Xavi's birthplace, Terrassa. Puig's father, Carles, was a player with Terrassa in Catalonia's lower divisions, and Riqui began playing with his hometown club's youth sides before being recruited by Barca's La Masia academy at the age of 14.
Progress was rapid there; by February 2018 he had made his professional debut for Barcelona B in the third tier aged just 18 years and six months. That same season, he came to wider attention after starring in the UEFA Youth League, contributing with three goals and three assists as Barca won the trophy by beating Manchester City in the semi-finals and Chelsea in the decider.
The 2018/19 campaign saw Puig really establish himself as a key figure for Barca B, playing 32 times throughout the season. His potential to go much higher was clear from the regular flashes of skill and vision, and way of carrying the ball confidently through tight spaces which recalled a younger, slighter Iniesta.
Clips of such moments shared via social media saw the teenager become hugely popular among millions of devout Blaugrana fans worldwide, who also winced when the youngster suffered aggressive challenges from opposition defenders who did not enjoy close-up glimpses of his skill.
Former Barca coach Ernesto Valverde gave the talented youngster a LaLiga opportunity late in the campaign, with starts against both Huesca and Celta Vigo when the title had already been secured. Through the first half of 2019/20 however, his first-team path was blocked by others in the senior squad, even after he turned 20 in August, although he regularly starred for Barca B.
However, new coach Quique Setien made his admiration clear by naming Puig in his squad for his debut match in charge, against Granada at the Camp Nou in mid-January, and sending him on for Ivan Rakitic with the game still scoreless and to be decided midway through the second half. Within five minutes, the youngster had regained possession by pressing high up and set in motion a passing move ended by Blaugrana captain Lionel Messi firing the ball into the back of the net for the winning goal.
Setien has a reputation for trusting young playmakers from his stints at Las Palmas and especially at Real Betis, where Dani Ceballos and Fabian Ruiz grew into senior Spain internationals under his tutelage. And the style of play Puig has learned through his development at La Masia, and especially his quick feet and even quicker thinking, looks well suited to the new coach's Johan Cruyff-influenced tactical approach.
Barca are not, however, badly stocked for midfield options, with top internationals Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Arthur Melo, Arturo Vidal and Rakitic also available.
Puig must be aware that Iniesta and Xavi both showed patience during their early careers. While also remembering that time is on his side, the natural talent and Barca DNA of LaLiga's latest rising star will surely shine incredibly brightly.
