Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati has been described as something out of the ordinary by Jose Luis Perez Mena, the director of a Spanish-based football academy that nutured him during his formative years.
Fati has been a revelation since bursting onto the scene for Barcelona in 2019 at the age of 16.
He was born in Guinea-Bissau in 2002, but moved to Spain at the age of six with his family, settling in the city of Seville and it was from there that his talent was discovered by Perez Mena who is director of Escuela de Futbol Peloteros.
“He didn’t have his own ball or anything in Guinea-Bissau,” Perez Mena told ESPN.
“They were a poor family. They came to Spain without anything really. We bought him some boots and some kit; when we saw him playing, it was something completely out of the ordinary. I have never seen anything like it.
“It was such a huge surprise. He had to play with kids three years older because those that were his age could not compete with him. I remember in one tournament, he played the first game and told me he would not play anymore because it was not a challenge for him. There was so much difference between him and the others that he got bored.”
Fati’s talent began to flourish and it caught the attention of some of Spain’s established clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Villarreal, Espanyol among others. At the age of 10, he moved Barcelona, leaving his parents behind in Seville. He progressed very well at La Masia and made his debut for the Catalan giants in a La Liga match against Real Betis on August 25, 2019 at 16 years and 298 days old, becoming the club’s youngest debutant since 1941.
Fati’s stock continued to rise in the Barcelona shirt and was handed the iconic number 10 shirt worn by Lionel Messi after the Argentine left in 2021.
Fati’s father, Bori, revealed his son had a chance to represent Portugal as he was offered citizenship. Ansu was however not keen to play for Portugal, but was only keen to represent Spain.
“Ansu could have chosen Portugal, they offered us nationality,” Bori said. “But he said to me: ‘Dad, how am I going to opt for Portugal if I don’t even speak Portuguese? You brought me to Spain and this is where my friends and my life are.'”
Fati has since represented Spain five times since making his international bow in 2020, scoring two goals. He is part of the La Roja squad at the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Perez Mena explained that Fati’s origins from Guinea-Bissau, his family and his football development in Spain have all played a part in building the highly-rated prospect he has become.
“He doesn’t forget his people or his origins and he always has a lot of affection for everyone,” Perez Mena said.
“In some ways, I think he is more prepared for [everything] than Bori. It’s incredible how well-prepared he is for life. I think a lot of that is down to La Masia, but also his experiences, coming from Guinea-Bissau to a different country, then leaving his family for Barcelona. I think all of that, plus the injuries, has made him very strong.”
Fati suffered a knee injury against Real Betis on November 7, 2020 and missed nine months of action.
He had a series of other injuries that kept him in and out of the team for more than six months combined but he has now shaken off all those injuries and has played in all of Barcelona’s games this season (20 matches), scoring three goals and providing as many assists.
