- Ansu Fati: From Football Prodigy to Uncertain Future
- The Impact of Injuries and High Expectations
- A Fresh Start at Brighton: A Chance for Revival
Ansu Fati was the greatest thing that had happened to Spanish football in years. His story began in a self-proclaimed communist utopia, a tiny Andalusian village where Che Guevara peers out from the sports center wall, and would end on top. He was Barcelona’s great hope: the chosen one, adored by all. Lionel Messi blessed him and gave him his No. 10 jersey. There was something distinctive about him; he was a truly exceptional player led by a star. A colleague described him as “magical.” He was bold, electrifying, and irrepressible.
Indeed, he was. And now? Now, nobody knows for certain what Ansu Fati is. How good is he? the query asked of every new signing, cannot be answered simply, or perhaps at all. This is why there were few real offers for a player whose buyout clause was once set at a billion euros to ensure none; why Barcelona let go of a player their coach referred to as “our heritage” but also why they didn’t let go entirely, agreeing to a year-long loan at Brighton with no option to buy. Because even if he is no longer that player and some insiders fear he never will be again, he could still be.
There is still time for them to discover the answer in Brighton.
The Amex may not have seemed like a likely destination, but there was a sense of collective relief when they found him a club and a temporary solution to a developing problem. A revival that offers the possibility of something more enduring. Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Brighton, reassured Fati that this could be beneficial for him and that he had a role and support. This is a place where he can receive the opportunities he was denied at Barcelona, away from the injuries and pressure, the rising tension, and the spirits. A place to be liberated and discover oneself. A location primarily for play.
He hadn’t for far too long. 16 teammates played more minutes than Fati during the previous season. This season, the once-recognized generational talent had played 47 minutes, which felt excessive, as though he could not expect more. The injury had halted everything, the damage not being solely physical, and not playing had become the norm, the way things were. All of that enthusiasm and promise had vanished.
A type of nostalgia adhered to him, which is absurd for a twenty-year-old football player.
He was not a typical football player. Or at least he was not. After Fati’s first start at Camp Nou in September 2019, then-head coach Ernesto Valverde remarked, “It’s not normal for his first touch to result in a goal, for his second touch to result in an assist, and for his third touch to almost end up in the top corner.” He was 16 years old and had scored within two minutes. It was not his first goal, as he had scored within six minutes of entering the contest in the previous game against Osasuna. Everything is somewhat exaggerated. This will continue to grow in size. We must prevent the situation from being blown out of proportion to safeguard the player,” said Valverde.
“He is quite youthful. We know what he is capable of, what he is doing, that his supporters are ecstatic, and that he is being compared to great players. “He has the ability,” said Sergio Busquets. “We must support him because we anticipate difficult times; he must know where he stands.”
It did grow larger and larger and larger. There were periods of difficulty. Fati scored and assisted in his first Champions League game, and scored and assisted in his first start for Spain in June 2020, becoming more than a Barcelona player and someone the nation embraced with warmth and affection; he was a child and appeared to be one. What he did was so natural and effortless that it almost appeared effortless and innocent, as though he felt no pressure and nothing could halt him. He possessed a talent; it was as if he did not have to pursue objectives because they came to him. Even after missing 323 days due to a torn meniscus, he returned in September 2021 and scored again immediately.
But it had been difficult. That day, Ronald Araujo appeared to offer him to everyone by lifting him to the heavens.
Even the opposing manager expressed his delight that Ansu had returned to football. Fati scaled the throng to embrace medical personnel and family members. In November 2020, January, March, and May 2021, he had undergone four operations in three countries. He was only 18 years old. In his absence, as well as Messi’s absence, the burden and reliance had increased. He was given the No. 10 uniform and a new contract with the slogan Dream Teen was announced. “He cannot be expected to fix everything Messi left behind,” Ronald Koeman, the coach at the time, said eloquently. The response that day demonstrated that Barcelona required him as much as he required them.
In November, he then sustained a muscle injury in Vigo. Two months later, he returned too soon for a cup match in Bilbao and was promptly injured again. This time, the effect was permanent. Doctors wanted him to undergo surgery, but Fati resisted, determined to avoid another operation. He did not return until May 2022, making a handful of appearances as a substitute while still not being entirely prepared. In 2020-21 and 2021-22, he started only nine games in the league. He was not the same, nor was he given the chance to be the same.
Fati entered the game in the second week of the following season, 2022-23, and altered the outcome for Real Sociedad.
“I’m playing without fear now; I’m almost back to 100 percent,” he said that night. Two weeks later, Xavi declared the injuries “forgotten.” But neither of these statements was entirely accurate, and the coach acknowledged that his return was difficult to manage and that he had to take things slowly. In addition, they now had Robert Lewandowski, with whom he did not mesh well, and Fati did not make his league debut until October. He was also excluded from Spain’s first squad of the year. Luis Enrique’s decision to send him to the World Cup in Qatar was a surprise.
It was the sole regret of Luis Enrique. “Ansu’s level is unquestionable,” the Spain coach said when naming the team. He also confessed that he had been uncertain about what to do until the very last moment; the “what if?” that everyone still experiences eventually convinced him.
“I expect to recover the best version of his work. When I observe his training, I will know if his progress is genuine. “He hasn’t started for his club yet, but this [World Cup] could be the impetus he needs,” Luis Enrique said, but after seeing Fati in Qatar, he surmised sadly that he was wrong. Fati played 22 minutes against both Japan and Morocco, returning with little impact.
As the months passed, there were moments – after a remarkable performance as a substitute in January’s Super Cup, Xavi admitted, “Maybe I should have put him on sooner” – but they were never more than moments.
“I’m happy for him because he has suffered,” the Barcelona coach said that night, promising that he would become more essential moving forward, but this did not occur.
Fati was different. Something was incorrect. It appeared as though all the courage, happiness, and sense of comfort had vanished, and it was unclear how to regain them. This child, who used to score goals effortlessly, was now missing opportunities as if the heavens had abandoned him. Someone believed he was fearful or, even worse, that his life was over. It may be natural that he was not as explosive or as quick, but some believe this is more mental. He appeared hesitant to take risks and assert himself.
Sitting out was not the answer. Fati required consistency and conviction, neither of which were forthcoming at the Camp Nou, not in the midst of competition, and not unless he made a case that could not be ignored. Xavi stated that he required more time, observing that “the younger generation is in a hurry.” I wore number 26 for three years and was referred to as Barcelona’s “present and future,” which was only partially accurate. There had been increasingly tense meetings between the club, Fati’s father Bori, and his agent Jorge Mendes, and there was a growing awareness that they had a problem on their hands. In the spring, Bori exploded, behaving exactly like an embarrassing father.
Bori asserted that his son had completely recovered and that fitness was no longer an excuse for not playing him; that he had assumed responsibility when the club was in “freefall”; and that he had hurried his son’s return – “and for what?!” He stated that it was time for a change. “Ansu merits far more. It irritates me that he plays so little,” insisted Bori. If I had my way, I would remove him from Barcelona. Thus, he left for Brighton, where he may once again be himself.
