Xavier knocked on Mister Alexanko's office door and waited.
"Come in." A gruff voice sounded from behind the wooden door.
"Hola, Mr Alexanko. Hola, Mr Borrell. How are you?" Xavier opened the door and walked in. The office was bare bones, with a bookshelf on the east wall and a ceiling window to the north.
In front of the window was the table behind which sat José Ramón Alexanko, one of the heads of La Masia. There were two chairs in front of the desk, one of which was taken by Rodolfo Borrell, a renowned coach of La Masia. Rodolfo had been instrumental in discovering and training talents, one of whom was Lionel Messi.
"Xavier, come in. Have a seat." José pointed towards the empty chair.
"Tell us, Xavier. Who is this talent you have found?" Rodolfo leaned in towards Xavier.
"Jordi Lloret, 6-years-old. From the El-Raval neighbourhood. Carlos called me the other day to watch him play. Mister, he is one of those talents to get excited about, the level of Bojan… No, no, I am really telling the truth—"
Xavier went on to describe Jordi's actions throughout the match. Multiple times, José and Alexanko exchanged a disbelieving look. They knew Xavier was not one to exaggerate.
"Misters, I think we should consult with his family and bring him into the Benjamin B setup." Xavier finished his impassionate plea.
"Xavier, if both Carlos and you agree on it, we have no issue. Keep in mind, we always prioritise the comfort of Jordi and his family." Alexanko spoke up, much to Xavier's relief.
…
Uncle Ferran spent an entire day convincing Mama to let me play with the Benjamin B side. Coach Carlos and Coach Xavier of Benjamin B visited our bakery yesterday and suggested the promotion to my mother and my uncle. It is already evening today, and Mama is still adamant that I play with kids my age. She wants me to just have fun, apparently.
Uncle Ferran had stopped getting any reaction from my mother by last night, so I realised I should jump in. I have been sulking in my room since the morning. It is quite boring, and I am tempted to pick up a book to read, but some sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.
In the end, Aunt Ona and Uncle Ferran got together to convince Mama. I was finally allowed to play with the Benjamin B, but not before my mother gave me an entire lecture on childhood and trust. While everything is sorted, she refuses to speak to Uncle Ferran for pushing her so much. However, that is none of my concern. Tomorrow, I join the Benjamin B players for training.
…
"Jordi, how did you convince them? Tell me, brother." Eric has not left my side since I walked into the locker room. He refuses to believe that Coach Xavier brought me to play here. I just give him a shrug and get back to tying my laces.
There is a clear difference in training between the two groups. Today, we trained on more possession-based and tactical plays, as opposed to just mindlessly playing rondos and games. Every exercise involved communication with other players, a welcome change. The kids made better decisions, which I am able to work with. Most importantly, they understood me when I signalled or shouted in the game.
This will be fun.
...
FC Barcelona Benjamin A won the Catalan Football Federation League undefeated. Their striker, Emerson Rodriguez, finished as the top scorer with 14 goals. Their captain and LCM Jordi Lloret finished the season with 9 goals and led the assists rankings with 15 assists. Dominic from CF Badalona finished second with 7 assists.
Jordi Lloret was a few days away from turning 8 and was already leading the 9 and 10-year-olds in Benjamin A. The captain of Benjamin A was a memorable sight throughout the Catalan youth football system. Everyone recalled the small child who pulled the strings like a master at play. Throughout the season, they did not remember a single team being able to stop him from playing however he wished to play.
Yesterday, Jordi played his last match for Benjamin A, which they won 3-0, with two assists from their captain. At the beginning of next season, Jordi and his team will move up to the Alevín C and D teams to create more magic.
La Masia Stats for Jordi Lloret (2009-2011)
2009-2010 season; Benjamin B
Position: CAM/LW/CM
Played: 18
Goals: 7
Assists: 4
2010-2011 season; Benjamin A
Position: LCM/CAM
Played: 26
Goals: 9
Assists: 15
…
28 May 2011
"Eric, we should sneak out to watch the celebrations when we win," Jordi whispered into Eric Garcia's ears. Eric snuck a glance at Jordi's uncle to make sure he did not overhear his friend.
"Absolutely not. What will happen if we get caught? Also, how are you so sure we will win?" Eric nudged Jordi away and kept a check on his surroundings.
Jordi just scoffed at Eric's courage, but he would convince Eric in the end. The Penya Culers del Raval can get quite rowdy, and he was sure they could leave during the celebrations.
"Of course, we will win. Don't worry about that." Jordi patted Eric on the shoulder.
Jordi was correct in his belief, but even he was caught off guard by the dominance of Barca's win. Once again, Pep Guardiola and his team left Jordi mesmerised, more so than any other culé in the room.
Jordi was most affected because he understood everything, each pass, each error, and each play. He understood, and he felt understood. Guardiola, Messi, and every Barca player recognised the idea and the vision that he had always pictured, but could never put into words. The philosophy that had been cultivated in him after Johan's dream.
…
"Jordi, wait for me! I'm telling you this is a bad idea." Eric shouted from behind Jordi. They had run through the winding streets of El Raval to reach a major intersection where a parade was already underway. Both the boys stopped in their tracks as the blaugrana colors reflected in their wide eyes, and the "Visca Barca! Visca Catalunya!" chants sounded in their ears. The complaint forming on Eric's tongue dissipated.
The two friends stood in silence and breathed in the euphoric energy of the celebrating fans. Their mouths were open wide, and their hands were clenched tight. They felt part of something so much bigger than themselves, and it felt freeing and wonderful.
A hand on each of their shoulders broke them out of their trance. Eric yelped while Jordi closed his eyes, recognising that hand.
"Jordi, you keep quiet. Eric, you enlighten me, please. What are two little brats doing here all alone at such a time?" Jordi just shook his head at Eric to not respond. He knew this was his uncle's signature rhetorical question.
Ferran turned the boys around and pushed them back home. His face wore a smirk that did not match the tone of his voice.
The boys walked back to the bakery in silence. Eric was still mesmerised by the majesty of the collective celebrations. Jordi was remembering the looks of unadulterated joy and passion on every face. Both of them had unknowingly taken a firm step towards their dream.