Until they get Academy status, then yes, everyone will pay (though I'm sure for certain top notch kids, they will offer a free ride).
Academy will take years. They require a history on the boys side now. Based on the bait and switch with the red team I will guarantee academy would not be free at all though.
I know a few here can't see anything wrong but they did say red was going to be free before reversing.
No guarantee they even become successful enough to get there. Let's see what year one looks like. I know if Real Madrid shows up next year with promises half the FCB kids will move again.
How big does Barça LI get before they have quality control problems and how big do they need to be to finance the whole project? I'm sure they will offer top training for the the top flight players but what will the turnover rate be for the secondary and tertiary teams/players? How long will parents stay with a program if they feel they little chance to move vertically amongst teams? What happens when their players start getting scouted with promises of top division play? What happens when the training sessions are packed and not adequately staffed?
Bigger is not always better, if your kid is not one of the 300+ players who make up the top tier teams how long before the thrill of wearing the badge wears thin?
If Barça does or does not plan to scholarship anyone, how many paying customers do they need to keep the lights on? How do they plan to make the two numbers meet?
How big does Barça LI get before they have quality control problems and how big do they need to be to finance the whole project? I'm sure they will offer top training for the the top flight players but what will the turnover rate be for the secondary and tertiary teams/players? How long will parents stay with a program if they feel they little chance to move vertically amongst teams? What happens when their players start getting scouted with promises of top division play? What happens when the training sessions are packed and not adequately staffed?
Bigger is not always better, if your kid is not one of the 300+ players who make up the top tier teams how long before the thrill of wearing the badge wears thin?
If Barça does or does not plan to scholarship anyone, how many paying customers do they need to keep the lights on? How do they plan to make the two numbers meet?
Agree with the B/C team question. I can tell you Susa lost a ton of kids in those levels this year because of what you pointed out. We won't really know until after the first full year.
If the B/C training is still as good as or better than anything else out there at a similar level - which, come on isn't hard to do as the bar is pretty low - then I think many will stay. It's all about what kind of service they deliver and if people think they're getting a good value for the money. People definitely are dissatisfied with the other options out there, hence so much club hopping. Barca might not do it, but imagine if LI could have a top quality, well managed club for once?
If the B/C training is still as good as or better than anything else out there at a similar level - which, come on isn't hard to do as the bar is pretty low - then I think many will stay. It's all about what kind of service they deliver and if people think they're getting a good value for the money. People definitely are dissatisfied with the other options out there, hence so much club hopping. Barca might not do it, but imagine if LI could have a top quality, well managed club for once?
Regardless of the training, the bloom eventually falls off the rose for the C team folks of a club whose highest level is NPL. Why pay $1600 for NYCSL or EDP d2, when you can play at the same level on a town based club for less than $200? The Barca name might be enough to have them hang on for a while but not forever...
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