Diego Almeida, defender of Ecuadorian blood, trained with the first team of FC Barcelona under the command of Xavi Hernández

Xavi Hernández last Thursday summoned seven Juvenil A players in his third training session as FC Barcelona coach, waiting for the 11 internationals who are concentrated with their respective teams for the FIFA date to return, as some may be reinstated injured.

Among those chosen were the Spanish defender of Ecuadorian parents Diego Almeida Crespo (17 years old), and Arnau Solà; midfielders Jesús ‘Txus’ Alba, Aleix Garrido and Marc Casadó; and the attackers Juanda Fuentes and Estanislau Pedrola.

“Seven Juvenil A players have trained today with the first team under Xavi Hernández! (…) Congratulations, guys! ”, Published the Masia of FC Barcelona on Twitter.

In addition, four members of Barça B, Ez Abde, Arnau Comas, Ferran Jutglà and Ilías Akhomach, accompanied the six available players from the first team: Iñaki Peña, Clément Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Óscar Mingueza, Riqui Puig and Luuk de Jong.

The newspaper Sports world he has interpreted this call as “casting among the youngest of the club”, at the expense of Xavi will not have in its entirety 11 internationals, distributed with their teams, until next Thursday, two days before the derby against Espanyol.

This casting with Juvenil A players, so to speak, concluded on Friday when Xavi completed his last training session of the first week since he was presented on Monday as the new culé helmsman, because Barça rests this Saturday and Sunday.

According Sports world, on Friday the defender of Ecuadorian blood and the rest of his teammates were no longer present, except for Txus Alba, who was the only one who repeated regarding training on Thursday.

Another of the publications of that newspaper is entitled “Xavi continues to examine the youth of the club”, and in this, through a series of images the young defender – dressed in a yellow vest – is shown making touches of the ball avoiding that the group dressed in orange vest intercepts the ball, among those was the French international Samuel Umtiti.

Almeida’s close environment told EL UNIVERSO this Saturday that the family has taken “with caution” Diego’s call from Xavi. “Step by Step”.

Barça promise is ‘ready to do anything for the Ecuadorian team’

“Diego loved it. It was a nice experience training with Xavi. The important thing is that he already knows that there is an Almeida on the campus ”, was the message that was transmitted from Rubí, Spain, to EL UNIVERSO.

After his experience under the command of Xavi Hernández, Almeida started this Saturday in Juvenil A’s victory in a match against Cerdanyola (3-0), valid for the Honor Division tournament.

The one born in Rubí, Catalonia, also plays for the under-18 of the Spanish team. In August 2018 he was summoned at the age of 14 by Jorge Célico to be part of a microcycle with the Ecuadorian U-15 and played at least two friendly matches wearing the Tri shirt.

Diego started in the Prebenjamín category of FC Barcelona, ​​in 2011. (D)