Tomas Svensson Expands Role at Barça: From First Team to Youth Academy
Barça’s legendary goalkeeper coach, Tomas Svensson, is set to extend his expertise beyond the first team this season. The five-time Champions League winner will now also work directly with the Blaugrana youth system, delivering weekly technical training sessions with Barça Atlètic and the Juvenil team.
The initiative began this Monday with an inaugural training session that brought together goalkeepers from the Youth, Cadet, and Infantil categories. Svensson was joined by Roger Piferrer, Barça Atlètic’s goalkeeper coach, and Pau Hernández, who works with the rest of the academy.
“What we want is to bring the youth team closer to the first team and show them the path to becoming great goalkeepers. At Barça, we have always had world-class goalkeepers, but right now none are homegrown in the first team. Our dream is to have one again,” said Svensson.
This philosophy is already reflected in the constant integration of reserve goalkeepers in first-team training, particularly Filip Saric. Svensson will now also be working regularly with Pau Hernández of Barça Atlètic and youth prospects Albert Quesada and Guillem Martínez.
The move has been welcomed by the youth structure. Jordi Rosell, coordinator of the academy’s handball section, emphasized the importance of the link:
“We wanted Tomas Svensson to be part of our methodology so that the first team can be more involved in what we do at the base. The staff is eager for us to produce players capable of stepping up. Tomas helps us guide the work towards high performance.”
Barça Atlètic open their campaign this weekend in Spain’s Silver Division of Honor, while the younger categories will attempt to defend their national titles at Youth, Cadet, and Infantil levels won last season.
