Genoa goalkeeper Josep Martinez has been the starter for the Italian side since their promotion campaign last season, and already has played in five different divisions across three countries at the age of 25. But he has referenced La Masia as the place he grew into a professional.
Martinez, originally from Alzira on the East Coast of Spain, moved to La Masia as a teenager and made it as far as Barca Atletic, before moving to Las Palmas and then RB Leipzig. After two years as a back-up in Germany, he joined Genoa.
“It was really what changed my professional career. For me it was the biggest leap I made in my entire professional career, because I played for a team in a small town in Valencia and from there I went to Barcelona. It was two years of a lot of learning. I think it was the biggest change in my life. I really learned a lot of things in the end at La Masia,” Martinez told EuroFoot.
“From finding your own life because you’re on your own and in terms of your performance as a goalkeeper, you really learn a lot because there are great coaches there, there’s a lot of quality and you have to improve to be at the same level as your teammates and compete with them.
I mean, for me it was fundamental, as I said before, in my development, as a goalkeeper, I think I had great teammates, great competitions and that makes you grow as well.”