WHAT HAPPENED?
Having broken into the Barca first team while still based at La Masia and firmly committed to his high school studies, the 17-year-old is seemingly working flat out to keep up while starring in Barcelona’s table-topping side.
WHAT CUBARSI SAID
Cubarsi opened up about his daily routine in an interview with RAC1, saying: “I’m studying the second year of social high school. I train in the morning and go to class at three in the afternoon. The teachers from León XIII come to La Masia and I have class until eight in the evening. If there’s a Champions League, I have to ask for notes or be attentive the next day to catch up. Sometimes it’s difficult to study, but I’d like to study a degree in marketing or business administration, but first I have to finish high school and then we’ll see.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It’s admirable that the teenage starlet is still so committed to his education, especially given his explosive start to life as a professional footballer. Since emerging from La Masia and into Barca’s first team last year, he’s already been described as a cultured and “refined” centre-back with great technical ability, and those skills have allowed him to rack up 30 La Liga appearances and counting before his 18th birthday.
WHAT NEXT FOR CUBARSI?
Cubarsi may have shone under Hansi Flick so far at Barca, but in the coming months he’ll face real pressure to maintain his levels and keep his place in the first team, with experienced pros Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia both set to return from injury. Next up, his side face city rivals Espanyol on Sunday.