An away trip to Valencia on August 17 2024 will likely live long in the memory for Marc Bernal, Gerard Martín and Pau Víctor. All three young players have earned coach Hansi Flick’s trust to go on and now make their competitive debuts for the FC Barcelona first team.
Marc Bernal first to debut under Flick
Aged only 17 years old and still part of the youth system, the Catalan became the first to debut in a competitive game with Flick as blaugrana coach. Bernal wasn’t even seven years old when he joined La Masia from Gimnàstic Manresa, and after going through every youth development stage, he then missed under-18 football out completely by moving straight from under-16 level to Barça Atlètic.
He was a rock for Rafa Márquez last season, playing 31 games, starting 27 of them, and even managing to score a couple of goals. In fact, the first goal made him the youngest ever goalscorer in the Primera RFEF, scored when he was just 16 years, 4 months and 26 days old. Less than a year later Marc Bernal has taken to the pitch at Mestalla wearing number 28 to start for the first team.
Gerard Martín debuts in second half
Locally-born fullback Martín joined in summer 2023 to play for Barça Atlètic, after coming through the youth system at EF Performance, San Gabriel, and latterly at Cornellà, where he was a first team squad member up to the 2021/22 season.
He was an ever-present for Barça Atlètic last season under Rafa Márquez, playing 41 games, 37 in the league and 4 in the playoffs. The defender had already got a taste of what it was like with the first team in Dallas during last December’s friendly against Club América. This summer saw him go on the US tour and he has now made his first team debut after replacing Alejandro Balde on 63 minutes.
Pau Víctor completes hat trick of debuts
After top scoring during preseason, locally-born striker Pau Victor has now made his first team debut, coming on for Lamine Yamal in the 86th minute.
A great 23/24 season with Barça Atlètic – playing 39 games and top scoring in the Primera Federación with 20 goals – helped earn his chance with the FC Barcelona first team and he got his first minutes in the shirt during the first LaLiga game of the season at Mestalla.
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