`La Masia`, the FC Barcelona (FCB) youth academy, translates into English, simply as `the farmhouse`. The FCB motto is `més que un club1`, and as one of the most successful sporting teams in the world2 FCB is definitely more than a club, and La Masia is - without doubt - more than just a farmhouse. Using typical Catalan simplicity, employees refer to it as "Masia", a brief nickname that almost downplays the alumni who have come through the ranks; those whose fame reaches such an echelon that names in their entirety aren`t even needed: Guardiola, Messi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Xavi. Masia`s reputation equals that of its protégés. The news media have described it as "the fame academy" and a "conveyor belt of excellence3". Masia entered a new generation in 2011, when in October of that year they opened a £9 million facility to complement the over 300-year-old original `farmhouse` (Figures 1 and 2). But facilities - farmhouses or state-of-the-art - are more than the sum of their parts in bricks and mortar. The recruitment, development and care of the players are what really shroud Masia in excellence. For this issue of the Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal, La Masia has provided an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into their integrative approach to maximising sporting talent. We spoke with Dr David Domínguez (responsible for player health) Andres Martin (Physical Trainer) and Dr Ricard Pruna (Head of Medical Services for all FCB teams) (Figure 3).
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