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No home-grown talent: Is there an identity crisis at FC Barcelona?
Madrid, April 18 (IANS) FC Barcelona may have moved a step closer to the title with a 2-2 draw away to Celta Vigo on Tuesday night, but the starting XI fielded by coach Ernesto Valverde raised more than a few eyebrows and perhaps highlights a problem at the club.
With the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla on Saturday night, Valverde was always going to rest key players like Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, reports Xinhua news agency.
Of his starting XI in the Balaidos Stadium, only goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen and recent signing Philippe Coutinho could be said to be regular starters.
The starting XI fielded by Valverde wasn’t cheap either, costing somewhere in the region of 450 million euros. But what was surprising is that it failed to contain one single player who progressed out of the Barcelona youth system and not one from the Catalan region Barcelona identifies so closely with.
Every player in the Barcelona side which started Tuesday night’s game had been bought by the club from elsewhere and while it’s true Denis Suarez did have a short spell in the famous ‘la Masia’ but he is not ultimately a product of that famous system.
Barcelona fans don’t have to go back that far in time (November 2012 to be precise) to remember when Tito Vilanova fielded a side consisting entirely of players who came from the Barcelona youth system. Victor Valdes, Martin Montoya, Pique, Carles Puyol, Jordi Alba, Xavi Hernandez, Busquets, Cesc Fabrigas, Perdo Rodriguez, Messi and Andres Iniesta made up that title winning side, but they have to go much further back in time to find the last Barcelona XI with no former youth team players.
Barcelona will go on to win the league this season and they are favourites to win the Cup on Saturday with a side which will represent the youth system, but Iniesta is likely to leave at the end of the campaign, Messi is over 30 and Busquets will be 30 in the summer and where are the replacements?
Barcelona’s B-team is currently struggling in the Spanish second division and at the moment there don’t appear to be any firm candidates to step into the first team squad.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.