At a glance
- Juliano Belletti is modern day legend at FC Barcelona because of his winning goal against Arsenal in the 2005/2006 Champions League.
- He’s currently wrapping up his first season as the manager of the reserve team, Barca Atletic.
- Because of his impressive work, the Brazilian is being linked with making the leap to senior management.
Mundo Deportivo asked Barca Atletic manager Juliano Belletti what will happen next season with the call up of his young players to the first team.
Belletti’s reserve outfit missed out on qualification to the promotion play-offs by losing to Torrent 3-1. Yet losing the likes of Tommy Marques and Xavi Espart to the first team has been named as a potential motive for falling short.
“It’s an issue for the directors, Belletti said. “My job is to bring the players the reality of competitive football. On this path I can continue as a coach. To work so that they are more prepared for the first team.”
Belletti pointed out that a good thing about his work is that “Flick likes young players who understand” the context of playing at Barca and making the step up to the elite.
Belletti is looking ahead to the future at Barcelona
Winning the Youth League with the U19s last year, Belletti is looking to the immediate future of Barca Atletic. “Things must be adjusted,” he insisted. “Because the demand will be more important, day to day, on and off the field so that the team is better,” he said.
This season he didn’t like that “we had to demand too much from young people”. “I talked about protecting them. And, even so, they have shown something different. Especially by character, by adapting to different concepts,” Belletti added.
In the goalscorer of the winning strike in Barca’s second Champions League triumph in 2006 against Arsenal, the Catalans have a club man that understands the institution and what it takes to succeed at the top.
By leading Juvenil A and the reserves, he’s on the right path to one day perhaps lead the first team. Meanwhile, though, Rafa Marquez is a cautionary tale of trying to take the step forward too quickly, now finding himself in relative obscurity.
At present, Flick is expected to sign a new contract and stay in the hotseat until 2028. By then, Belletti could be ready to replace him. Or, at least take a top job in big leagues ahead of returning to Catalonia one day.
