Afirmacija mladih igrača Iz Bobanovog intervjua za Guardian.
We have walked back over to Boban’s office and in walks Albert Capellas, appointed by him to head up Dinamo’s academy in June, for a brief introduction. Capellas spent more than a decade working with Barcelona’s youth and B sides. Boban’s plan is to blend a La Masia-style methodology with the heart that has helped launch scores of Croatian footballers to greatness.
“We would like to have one of the best football schools in Europe and I believe that, in a few years’ time, we will have it,” Boban says. “So that everyone knows that, if they are thinking about taking a player from Dinamo, it is an educated player.”
He thinks Dinamo can become a credible stop for youngsters from bigger leagues who need to refine their competitive edge. The 20-year-old Sergi Domínguez – “one of the best young defenders in the world, if not the best” – arrived from Barcelona during pre-season in a notable yield from the relationship. Dani Olmo once beat a similar path. Cardoso Varela, a former Porto winger who has just turned 17, is widely expected to swap Zagreb for the Camp Nou next.
Boban’s conviction is hypnotic. But can such methods be enough to make teams such as Dinamo competitive in a sport whose elite are unmoored and disappearing over the horizon? “I believe in time we can do it,” he says, citing Atalanta as the model of a club driven by smart decisions.