Cubarsí: Teen Defender with Skill

One year has passed since Pau Cubarsí made his FC Barcelona debut on Saturday, which is a remarkable accomplishment for the 17-year-old defender. With 53 appearances over the last 365 days, he has positioned himself as the third most active center defense in Europe, trailing only seasoned players Berat Djimsiti of Atalanta and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool.

Exactly one year ago, the Unionistas Salamanca vs. Barcelona Copa del Rey match (1-3) marked the beginning of this adventure. Even though it is not a historic event, the native of Estanyol (Girona) will always remember the day, January 18, 2024, and the location, the Estadio Municipal Reina Sofía.

After playing enough of the game’s second half to persuade then-coach Xavi Hernández to keep him in the starting lineup, Cubarsí swiftly established himself as a vital member of the team.

Under new manager Hansi Flick, he has maintained his position on the team and is a key member of the defense with veteran Iñigo Martínez, even if the latter is now injured.

With a total of 4,165 minutes, Cubarsí is the sixth most active center defender in Europe. Only Van Dijk and Djimsiti have played longer, both with 54 games. Other well-known defenders are Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen (4,433 minutes), Gabriel Magalhães of Arsenal (4,225 minutes), and Antonio Rüdiger of Real Madrid (4,204 minutes). Notably, Cubarsí is 17 years old, much younger than his colleagues, and only William Saliba of Arsenal (4,574 minutes) has the same decade of birth.

Cubarsí has gone from playing youth matches on artificial turf to winning two Man of the Match awards in UEFA Champions League games in less than a year: against Brest (3-0) this season and against Napoli (3-1) in the second leg of last season’s round of 16.

When Cubarsí joined La Masia as a second-year young player from Girona in 2018, his adventure with Barcelona officially began. His leadership abilities, intelligence, and game vision were evident even at that time.

Gerard Piqué has been compared to him because of his positional awareness and ability to control the ball through passing or dribbling. He has also demonstrated an impressive defensive duel success rate of 72.4%, according to BeSoccer Pro.

Cubarsí is described by those who know him from the young teams as having a humility that is reminiscent of the great academy alumni Andrés Iniesta and Carles Puyol. He rarely talks in the locker room, but when he does, it’s always insightful. He stays grounded thanks to his encouraging surroundings.

The Catalan defender will celebrate his 18th birthday on January 22. A year ago, this role was thought to be improbable, but now he proudly leads the Barcelona defense.

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