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La Fabrica’s Hidden Gems; Who Will Make the Cut at Real Madrid?

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La Fabrica’s Hidden Gems; Who Will Make the Cut at Real Madrid?
The stellar displays of Bellingham, Tchouameni, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Junior have instilled Real Madrid with a newfound belief in their prowess as a powerhouse for nurturing young talent. Yet, lurking in the shadows lies La Fabrica, a hallowed nursery of young prodigies who have, in times gone by, given birth to countless luminaries under the aegis of the Matadors. The burning question: have some of the burgeoning stars who've illuminated Real Madrid this season been birthed from the hallowed halls of La Fabrica?

Real Madrid's young stars like Bellingham, Tchouameni, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Junior, alongside La Fabrica academy graduates.

The fate of La Fabrica alumni is currently a subject of fervent debate, set against the backdrop of high-priced foreign acquisitions and departures at Real Madrid. This trend has gradually dwindled the prospects of La Fabrica's most promising graduates earning coveted spots in the first team. In the early 2000s, Real Madrid remained steadfast in granting opportunities to La Fabrica's emerging talents. Even during the Galacticos era, players such as Raul Gonzalez, Pavon, Guti, Raul Bravo, and Casillas retained their pivotal roles within the Los Blancos' main squad. The result was a harmonious fusion of La Fabrica's products and expensive international stars, who collectively lorded over domestic and European competitions.
Under the aegis of Perez, during his second stint featuring a Galacticos program, Real Madrid continued to extend a hand to La Fabrica graduates. This commitment was evident during Zinedine Zidane's reign, marked by three consecutive Champions League victories. Players like Lucas Vazquez, Jese, Alvaro Morata, Asensio, and Nacho still enjoyed opportunities to don the iconic white jersey. The coach's role, too, held significant sway in granting academy players access to the first team. Zidane, who possessed an intimate knowledge of Real Madrid's youth setup from his coaching tenure at Castilla, placed unwavering faith in La Fabrica's fledglings to unleash their finest talents within the first squad. However, this paradigm appeared to shift when the Italian tactician, Carlo Ancelotti, took the reins. This transition was notably evident during his inaugural season in 2013/14, as opportunities for La Fabrica's youthful talents dwindled under his stewardship. The rare exceptions included the aging Arbeloa and Casillas, who continued to receive minutes on the field.
You see, there was a time when he made decisions that saw players like Morata and Vazquez departing in 2014. Back then, Ancelotti leaned toward the arrival of Lucas Silva, a promising Brazilian talent who, regrettably, failed to flourish. Despite this, Ancelotti steered Real Madrid to triumphant heights, clinching La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and Champions League titles with a majority of foreign stars.

This pattern recurred when Ancelotti resumed his tenure at Real Madrid in 2021. According to a report from The Athletic, during his first season, Ancelotti provided a mere 474 minutes of playing time for La Fabrica and Castilla players across 26 matches, involving a pool of nine players. In a surprising move, Ancelotti opted to part ways with several La Fabrica graduates, including Kubo, Odegaard, Brahim Diaz, Odriozola, and Borja Mayoral. Instead, he embarked on the acquisition of high-priced young talents such as Camavinga.
This shift in the transfer policy closely aligns with the club's directive. Under Perez's leadership, Real Madrid has initiated a transformation in their approach to recruitment, channeling their focus towards procuring young, foreign prospects from various corners of the globe. A pivotal figure in this transformation is June Calafat, a behind-the-scenes scout for Real Madrid. Calafat tirelessly embarks on journeys across the world, including South America, in the quest for emerging talents. It's beyond doubt that both Calafat and Perez have invested significant resources in securing these prodigies. The likes of players such as Vinicius Junior, Rodrigo, Valverde, and most recently, Endrick, stand as testimony to the efficacy of this strategic shift.
In the meantime, young European talents have not been overlooked. With Ancelotti's and the management's endorsement, Real Madrid has acquired high-priced prospects like Camavinga, Tchouameni, and Bellingham. It appears that Ancelotti and the management have paid limited heed to the potential of La Fabrica graduates, despite their impressive accomplishments in recent years. Remarkably, La Fabrica secured the treble in the previous season, with Real Madrid Juvenil U-19, overseen by Arbeloa, capturing the Division De Honours League, Copa De Campeones, and Copa Del Rey at the youth level.
In the past, Raul Gonzalez achieved significant success with La Fabrica in 2020 by securing the UEFA Youth League title. Today, Raul continues to lead Castilla, where he diligently nurtures promising talents such as Nico Paz, Gonzalo Garcia, Marvel, Tobias, and Mario Martin. Although these names may ring a bell, their stints with the Real Madrid first team have often seen them relegated to the role of mere benchwarmers.

Raul has grappled with this formidable challenge. Despite persistent efforts to communicate his convictions, convincing Ancelotti about the caliber of La Fabrica's talent has proven to be a daunting task. The previous season bore testament to this, as promising young talents like Sergio Arribas, Rafa Marin, and Carlos Dotor found themselves plying their trade elsewhere. The Athletic's investigation spotlighted Ancelotti and Real Madrid's prevailing approach concerning the future of La Fabrica prospects, aptly termed the "Way of Carvajal" as the blueprint for budding La Fabrica players seeking success.
The "Way of Carvajal" mirrors the trajectory embraced by La Fabrica prospects, one that entails temporarily leaving Real Madrid, either via loans or sales, to amass wisdom and experience. This model aligns seamlessly with the journey of Dani Carvajal, who chose to make a stint with Leverkusen to secure regular playing time, ultimately returning to Real Madrid in 2013. Carvajal's experience has become a symbol of this path, underscoring the wisdom of shunning a spot on the Real Madrid bench in favor of meaningful minutes on the field. The narrative of Lucas Vazquez follows a similar script. During Ancelotti's reign in 2014, he embarked on a loan spell at Espanyol, then came back to Real Madrid during the Zidane era in an improved state. Nevertheless, it's essential to recognize that not all players manage to emulate the "Way of Carvajal," with Mariano Diaz serving as a case in point. Following a successful loan spell at Lyon, he returned to Madrid and struggled to make a significant impact.
In the ongoing 2023/24 season, a growing contingent of Real Madrid players are treading the "Way of Carvajal." This group includes Fran Garcia, who has spent an extended period with Rayo Vallecano, and Joselu, whose journey has witnessed frequent club changes. The looming question is whether they will experience success akin to Carvajal's or face adversity. The answer hinges upon Ancelotti's individual inclinations and preferences. The current focus has shifted from deliberations on the destinies of players who have traversed the "Way of Carvajal" to the prospects of La Fabrica talents awaiting their turn for promotion, exemplified by figures like Nico Paz and Gonzalo Garcia.

Will they seize the opportunity to showcase their talents or find themselves caught in the cycle of loans and sales? Ancelotti's impending departure from the Bernabeu next season will likely usher in a broader window of opportunity for La Fabrica graduates to ascend and enjoy more playing time. However, the prospects of these young talents hinge on the identity of the coach entrusted with their development. A coach with a profound understanding of Real Madrid's academy, such as Arbeloa, Raul, Xabi Alonso, or Zidane, holds the potential to unlock these young players' latent capabilities to an even greater extent.


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