As a finishing school for young footballers, Barcelona's La Masia academy is quite unique and unquestionably the best in the world.
Just take a look at the roll call of recent graduates: Pep Guardiola, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba learnt their trade at the converted 18th century farmhouse in the centre of Barcelona, a few kilometres from the club's giant 90,000-seat Camp Nou Stadium.
Other alumni include Italy's Thiago Motta, Arsenal's Mikael Arteta, Liverpool's Pepe Reina and a little chap from Argentina, Lionel Messi, who arrived as a pint-sized 13-year-old back in 2000.
Conceived by Johann Cruyff (his son Jordi is another graduate), its peak was perhaps 2010, when all three nominees for Fifa's world player of the year - Messi, Iniesta and Xavi - were from La Masia.
While many European football clubs struggle to nurture homegrown talent, Barcelona's regularly stated aim is to produce 50 per cent of its players from its own academy.
