Albert Puig, the former youth academy director at FC Barcelona, has been hired as executive technical director by Northern California youth club De Anza Force.
The 48-year-oldPuig began coaching Barcelona youth teams in 2003 and served as La Masia director in 2010-2014. Afterward, he served as the technical director of Gabon’s national team program and as youthtechnical director of Spanish club Cordoba.
De Anza Force fields teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (boys) and ECNL. Itsalums include Marc Pelosi, who captained the USA at the 2011 U-17 World Cup and currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes.
“We are thrilled that Albert will be joining ourteam,” said De Anza Force Director of Coaching Jeff Baicher. “We have a huge admiration of Barca style of soccer. Albert shares our values and he places the samestrong emphasis as we do on the player development.”
What a great hire by de Anza, and good for northern cal soccer to see a coach like that coming. Will we see a stampede of families bring their kids to the club? I bet so.
Fantastic. I hope (wish) this starts a trend for youth player development across the country and starts a movement away from the English cadre of trainers.
If people will watch this guy they will see that he matches, players talent and ability size and many other factors to the position they should be playing vs where the coach would like to see them playing. Coaches in this country seem to stereotype players when they shouldn’t be playing the position they are assigned to.