At 17 years and 291 days old, Marc Guiu Paz made his Barcelona debut. Against Athletic Club, he scored after 33 seconds to help the Blaugrana secure a 1-0 victory.
Using a deft pass from Joao Felix, the young prodigy from Sant Celoni made wonderful control and beat Unai Simon with his next touch. He said, “I've dreamed about this moment many, many times,” to DAZN.
“Many evenings and numerous moments. I'm in a wonderful and joyful mood. I noticed that Joao Felix was in complete control of it and that there was plenty of room behind the centre backs. With the quality he possessed, he gave it to me, and it became a reality when he faced Unai Simon. It was an extremely fast decision that was entirely based on instinct.”
At the academy, we are all well-prepared, performing admirably, and giving it our best when we go up. We all have a strong desire to benefit from the club's challenging times, and we are doing admirably in doing so. Guiu continued by describing the reactions of his teammates after his first-ever goal for the Barcelona seniors.
“Araujo has been the one who has helped me the most,” he stated. “Also all the young players, Lamine [Yamal], Fermin [Lopez], all of them have helped me.” They were all praising me, saying that I should enjoy everything and that I wouldn't sleep tonight. The cell phone isn't here yet.
What was it that Xavi told Guiu prior to his Barcelona debut?
Before coming off the bench, Marc Guiu revealed what his coach, Xavi Hernandez, had told him.
“Before coming, they told me to give everything, to press, and that I was going to have a chance for sure and that I should take advantage of it,” he said.
Xavi gave Guiu praise.
Following the match against the Basque team, the Barcelona manager showered the Barcelona academy graduate with adulation. “He's a home-grown lad who has made the difference; his goal gives us three very important points,” said Xavi.
“I called up Marc Guiu because he can score goals.” Personally, I think Marc Guiu is great; he has a spark and can score goals. I have no trouble staring at the children. They need to be given confidence since they have talent. When I was seventeen or eighteen, they gave me [assurance].”
Everything you should know about Marc Guiu, Deco, and Barcelona's large wager
Guiu, a 1.87-foot pure striker and goal scorer, has been compared to Robert Lewandowski because of his strength, speed, and finishing prowess. At the age of seven, he enrolled in the Barcelona youth academy in 2013 after moving from Pena Barcelonista de Sant Celoni. He progressed through the academy's tiers to establish himself as a staple at Barcelona's Juvenil A, where he has five goals to his credit.
Rafa Marquez's Barca Atletic made his debut in the Primera RFEF, playing eight minutes against Nastic. Guiu signed his first professional deal with Barcelona on February 2, 2022. He posted on Instagram, saying, “I would like to thank the club for their confidence in me.”
“There is still a lot of work ahead; let's keep going, Visca Barça!” Guiu made his Barcelona debut in the preseason friendly against Vissel Kobe in Japan, which was organised as an Andres Iniesta memorial. Afterwards, Xavi called him up for the match against Granada. With eight goals in 12 games with the U17s, Guiu is one of the most vital players for the Spanish young teams.
Guiu also scored four goals at the most recent U17 European Championship, making him a standout player. After the match, he posted on Instagram, saying, “Happy to fulfil the dream of making my debut with the best club in the world and to have helped the team get the three points.” ” I want to thank the coach for believing in me on this very memorable day.
I also want to thank all of the coaches who have supported me along the way, as well as my teammates, friends, and family in particular. It's time to keep working hard and getting better every day to support the club in reaching its goals. I want to thank everyone of the Barcelona supporters for their encouragement on this memorable day of my life. “Visca el Barca” .
