A rare peek behind the scenes at Barca's La Masia fortress

In 2010, La Masia underlined its status as the world’s top football academy when no less that three of its products became finalists for the “Golden Ball” given to the world’s best player – Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Messi.

Normally off-limits to outsiders, the training complex recently welcomed a group from Thailand led by Marut Buranasetkul, managing director of Thai Beverage Marketing, and senior marketing manager Sorrakrit Lathitham as well as a couple of dozen of Thai media to observe the current La Liga leaders train. 

As an official sponsor, Chang beer-maker ThaiBev, will bring Barca to Bangkok this August. Both sides last week inked a deal at Camp Nou for the “Chang Champions Cup – FC Barcelona Asian Tour 2013” friendly game between Thailand’s national team and FC Barcelona, which will be held at Rajamangala National Stadium on August 7.

We arrived on a cold Sunday morning at La Masia, which was running two hours behind schedule after the team’s late-night match against Mallorca, whom they blanked 5-0. 

Gerard Pique was the first to arrive in his white Audi, followed by Alexis Sanchez also driving the German brand, which is a team sponsor. But it was former Arsenal striker Cesc Fabrecas who made the most dramatic entrance, celebrating his first career hat-trick in the game against Mallorca on Saturday, by skidding to a stop in front of Thai journalists in his black Audi before squeezing into a narrow space between his team-mates’ cars. 

Team manager Tito Vilanova kept his distance from the racing-car antics, parking his white Porsche station wagon near a training pitch, some hundred metres away from the players’ cars. 

Half an hour later the whole Barca squad, except the ailing Messi, appeared in their yellow training outfits and approached us for a photo session under the eye of the ThaiBev men. With them was towering Frenchman Eric Abidal, whose return at Mallorca after a year out in which he had a liver transplant, stole the headlines in several Catalan tabloids.

The team were in relaxed mood, with some picking on each other like schoolboys during the photo-shoot. Carles Puyol represented the team in receiving souvenirs from Chang, while players waved Thailand flags and said “Thailand” out loud before proceeding to a training pitch for a 20-minute routine under the eagle eye of Vilanova.

“The grass has to be in top condition all the time as they train almost every day here, even a day after a game. They will choose to train on either of the two pitches and the training hours are different from day to day. A day before the game, they will train at the stadium,” said Barca representative Marisa Casillas. 

She added that it was rare to see press at La Masia, and photo and video are not allowed as Barca TV own copyright on all footage. Only official photographers and cameraman are permitted inside the complex.

It was an honour to step onto the territory which continues to produce stars of world football. The only downside was the absence of the Master, Messi, but FCB vice president Carles Vilarrubi vowed he would be coming to Thailand this August.

“This year there are no international commitments so the full squad will be available, hopefully including all of our biggest stars. So this game will be a chance for our fans in Thailand to be able to see Messi and all of the other big names in action,” the Spaniard CEO said during the contract signing ceremony at Camp Nou on April 5. August will mark the first time in a decade that Barca will visit the Kingdom. Their maiden Thai trip was in 2002 when they played a friendly with BEC-Tero. All Barca fans hoping to rub shoulders with their favourite players can get tickets for August’s game at ThaiTicketMajor from 11am on May 11. For further updates, visit www.Facebook.com/ChangWorld.