After a year of frustration and mismanagement at Barcelona B, both from the sidelines and the management itself, which led to getting rid of two coaches whose appointments were critical to begin with, things were finally looking to become stable again for the B team that is supposed to create first team players with a qualified coach to take over. Or so we thought…

Franc García Pimienta has been at La Masia for nine years, coaching some vital players on the current first team like Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué, and other notable players as well, such as Cesc Fàbregas, Thiago, Marc Bartra, Sergi Roberto and Martin Montoya. Everything pointed towards him being chosen as the Barcelona B coach. Someone that seemed to be the perfect choice, given the fact that he knows the system in and out, plays 4-3-3 or 3-4-3, has coached every single La Masia player at the current Barça B, and has been successful coach at La Masia. On top of it, he is also Catalan and a former La Masia graduate. All in all, the man for the job.

And that was the plan to begin with. The entire coaching structure of youth football at La Masia for next season was re-formed because of that one decision. With García Pimienta moving from Juvenil A to Barça B, Quique Alvarez would join Juvenil A, a new coach would join Cadet A, and so on. A La Masia coach casting. It was widely reported by the Catalan media, including all of the key journalists who know what they’re talking about. There was absolutely no question. Albert Soler, one of the directors in the sporting area, also informed the club staff that García Pimienta would become Barça B’s next coach. The same journalists are now outraged by the decision to drop him.

According to Mundo Deportivo, there has been a sudden change of plans. The one who is going to lead Barça B next season will be Gerard Lopez, the current coach of the Catalan national team. Yes, a Catalan, La Masia graduate, and despite not having any experience at Barcelona before that’s not the main problem. Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola didn’t have any experience either. The problem here, as the journalists point out, is the amount of disrespect shown towards García Pimienta, a loyal La Masia coach more than qualified for the job. The club assured García Pimienta that he’d get the job. He ordered him to make a list of players he wanted to promote from Juvenil A and players he didn’t want at Barcelona B, so that what he did. He planned the pre-season and formed the team he was supposed to coach, but then the "change of heart" came even after he was promised the job.

Does this mean García Pimienta will be able to go back to being Juvenil A’s coach? No. The La Masia coach castling has been done. Quique Alvarez will be Juvenil A’s coach next season. Where does that leave García Pimienta? Will he be thrown out of the club just like that, after so many good results? That would be inexcusable and disrespectful. As Sport’s Josep Capdevilla explains, the managing committee didn’t even inform García Pimienta before leaking their change of plans to the press. Which shows an endemic lack of respect towards those that work at La Masia and dedicated most of their lives for it.

What caused this? It is known that the current head of La Masia, Jordi Roura, likes and prefers García Pimienta. When Eusebio Sacristan was fired earlier this season, Roura wanted García Pimienta, then Juvenil B coach, for the job. But as we’ve seen before in the last five years, the club's board likes to interfere and choose the one they like, ignoring what's best for La Masia itself; the ones who are supposed to be making the decisions. Bartomeu chose Jordi Vinyals, ignoring Jordi Roura’s voice. Now that Vinyals is leaving, Bartomeu seems to have made the final choice again even after having resigned weeks ago.

Could it be a power play to secure more votes by signing the manager of the Catalan national team? It’s a frustrating mystery that continues to damage La Masia, the staff members, young footballers, and especially the coaches. This time being García Pimienta, who deserves this job and doesn't deserve to be nonchalantly kicked out of the club.

In Mundo Deportivo’s report, it says that Gerard Lopez was contacted before elections started and that nothing is signed so far, but that he is very interested in the offer. Sport claims that Lopez will only become the coach if Bartomeu is elected as Barcelona President.

The possible future head of one of Barcelona's key youth teams is currently on vacation. Meanwhile, Jordi Vinyals’ contract was over today, the pre-season for Barcelona B is only a few weeks away. The clock is ticking. Unfortunately we can only powerlessly watch it.

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