The man in the expensive but understated coat shivered, a concession to the biting December wind that whipped through the stands of the Mini Estadi.
He was a senior scout for Bayern Munich, a man who had spent three decades unearthing talent in every corner of the globe, and he was not easily impressed.
Yet, for the third time in as many months, he found himself in this glorified youth stadium, his eyes fixed on a single player: the boy they called 'El Mago'.
He watched as the boy, Mateo, received the ball in a tight space, two opposing players converging on him with aggressive intent. Any other teenager would have panicked, hoofing the ball to safety or being dispossessed.
Mateo did neither.
With a subtle dip of his shoulder and a feint so quick it was almost subliminal, he sent both defenders sliding past him. The ball, for its part, seemed tethered to his feet by an invisible string.
