The children of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique took the first steps in their own football careers with FC Barcelona’s football school this week.
Thiago Messi and Milan Pique, who are both three years old, joined Benjamin Suarez, who turns three next week, attended their first day at the FCB Escola on Monday.
All employees have the option of sending their kids to Barca’s football pre-school, with twice-weekly classes serving as an introduction to the sport every Monday and Wednesday.
Those who run the Escola – Franc Carbó and before him new Barca CEO Oscar Grau – speak of the school as being many players’ first steps on the way to La Masia, the club’s famed academy, and beginning the process of imbuing players with “Barca DNA”.
That’s a phrase that will make Arsenal fans uncomfortable after its repeated use in the pursuit of Cesc Fabregas from 2009 to 2011 and was once again uttered by Barcelona vice president Jordi Mestre on Monday night to describe Hector Bellerin.
“It’s positive that [these players] get minutes at other clubs,” he said of Bellerín’s move to Arsenal.
“It is a dynamic which has always provided good results for players that carry the Barca DNA in their blood.”
While Thiago Messi is taking his first steps in football, younger brother Matteo has already shown us his skills.
On Monday Thiago and his friends were all accompanied by their famous fathers, making the most of their day off after the weekend’s victory at Leganés.
Messi scored twice and Suarez once in the 5-1 mauling , but all thoughts are now on Wednesday’s monster clash with Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp.