LALIGA and FC Barcelona welcome Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin to La Masia on a visit focused on the successful academy development model

FC Barcelona, as host, and LALIGA today welcomed Shen Yiqin, State Councilor of thePeople’s Republic of China, to La Masia for a visit focused ongaining first-hand insight into its operations as one of theleading benchmarks of the successful LALIGA academydevelopment model, internationally recognized for its ability todevelop young talent.

Accompanying the State Councilor were Gao Zhidan, Directorof China’s General Administration of Sport; Song Kai, President of the Chinese Football Association (CFA); Li Kemin, President of the Chinese Football League; Antonio Puche, Head Coach of China’s U-23 national team; and the Ambassador ofChina to Spain, Yao Jing, reflecting the highest institutional and sporting level of Chinese football. The visit was attended byJavier Tebas, President of LALIGA, and Sergi Torrents, Managing Director of LALIGA in China. Hosting on behalf ofFC Barcelona were Joan Laporta, Club President; Rafael Yuste, First Vice President and Head of the Sporting Area; Elena Fort, Institutional Vice President; and Joan Soler, Board Member, joined by José Ramon Alexanco, Director of Youth Football; Andrei Xépkin, Director of La Masia; and Bryan Bachner, Managing Director APAC and Americas of FC Barcelona, whoofficially welcomed the delegation and accompanied the visitthroughout the club’s facilities.

During the day, the representatives of Chinese football toured La Masia and learned first-hand about the educational and training model that defines a clear playing identity based on talent, tactical intelligence, and collective work. In this way, FC Barcelona’s La Masia has succeeded in developing not only elite footballers, but also players with strong values such as respect, humility, and commitment. This holistic approach, which combines sporting excellence, education, and a sense of belonging, has made La Masia a global benchmark and one of the fundamental pillars of FC Barcelona’s style and history. The delegation also attended a match between Barça’s Juvenil B team and the China HOPE Team.

The day concluded with an institutional meeting in a seminar format, conceived as a space for the exchange of knowledge and experiences in training and talent development. The meeting took place within the framework of the cooperation agreements between LALIGA and Chinese football institutions, reinforcing dialogue and collaboration between both organizations.

 

 

LALIGA, a benchmark in academy development

This visit reflects the growing international interest in the Spanish football development model and in the experience built up by clubs such as FC Barcelona in the field of youth academies, and it reinforced the positioning of LALIGA and La Masia as global benchmarks in the development of young talent. According to a recent LALIGA report, the value of homegrown talent reached €1.46 billion, the highest among Europe’s major leagues, with academy players accounting for 19.8% of the minutes played in the 2024/25 season. In addition, the CIES Football Observatory ranks La Masia and FC Barcelona as the club with the highest market value of academy graduates worldwide, with Lamine Yamal currently the highest-valued individual player. Overall, youth academies have consolidated their role as a key pillar of sustainability and competitiveness, now representing 45% of transfer revenues in Spanish football and reinforcing LALIGA’s international leadership in player development.