Celta Vigo: Fewer Barcelona Ties in Recent Years

The Celta Vigo squad stands out with the lowest number of players with a Barcelona past in recent seasons. With only Òscar Mingueza and Carles Pérez representing the blaugrana lineage, the current team has witnessed a decline compared to previous years when the count reached up to four players and a coach.

As Barcelona revisits Balaídos this Saturday (18:30 hours) for the 25th matchday of LaLiga, the encounter will lack the usual reunions between former players of both teams. Historically, Celta Vigo has been a team that benefited from players developed in the Barcelona ranks, but the current roster features just two names: Òscar Mingueza and Carles Pérez.

Both players, separated by only a year, traversed parallel paths through Barcelona’s youth categories. Mingueza joined La Masia in 2007, while Carles followed five years later in 2012, starting his Cadet stage.

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These two protagonists lifted the second UEFA Youth League in the club’s history in 2018, defeating Chelsea 0-3 in the final under the guidance of Francesc Xavier Garcia Pimienta. They progressed to the Barcelona B team, where they solidified their positions before earning a spot in the first team.

While Carles Pérez accumulated 13 appearances and two goals between 2018 and 2020, Mingueza played 66 times and scored the same number of goals from 2020 to 2022, even donning the first-team jersey.

Life Beyond Barcelona:

It’s fair to acknowledge that Mingueza and Carles did not coincide during favorable periods at FC Barcelona. However, Mingueza secured his place in the team due to financial constraints for reinforcements. Pérez moved to AS Roma in January 2020, spending two and a half seasons and winning the Conference League. In 2022, both former blaugranas joined Celta Vigo under Coudet, later succeeded by Carlos Carvalhal.

Extensive History:

These two players represent the only individuals in the current Celta Vigo squad with a past at FC Barcelona, marking the lowest figure in the last five years. Here is a summary of players from Balaídos who had previously worn the blaugrana jersey over the past decade: