Gavi - the guy who doesn't like to tie his shoelaces at Barca
In November 2021, fans began to notice Gavi's slip-on shoelaces. Teammate Nico Gonzalez had to bend down to help the 17-year-old, during his trip to Kiev in the Champions League.
But for those who have known Gavi for a long time, like coach Manuel Basco, it is a habit of the midfielder.
Basco was Gavi's first teacher at La Liara Balompie's youth team and understands his students like the back of his hand: "He's been doing this since he was 6 years old. The funny thing is that Gavi never steps on his shoelaces. A habit. His other thing that makes me angry is kicking his tongue to the side of his cheek while playing football. Every time seeing that scene is like torture when imagining if he accidentally bites his tongue!".
Up to the first leg of the Europa League play-off round against Man Utd today, Gavi has made great strides since he was a boy under Basco. He has played 77 matches for Barca, is the youngest player in the history of the Spanish team and has played 17 matches. At the end of last year, he received the Kopa award - considered the Golden Ball for U21 players.
Those who know Gavi well often comment that he looks like his mother, even his shy look off the field. Some people think that he resembles his father, especially his fierce competitiveness on the field. And maybe like all the good things in the world: Gavi owns a little bit of everything. Otherwise, Gavi would not have made miraculous progress and played in the biggest arenas like the World Cup or the Champions League only 12 years since he started training with the ball.
According to Basco, Gavi's talent is natural and soon stood out from his peers: "From the moment he started practicing, I noticed the difference. Rarely is a six-year-old child coordinated, controlled, control the ball and have a fighting spirit like it."
Basco's children had a player named Pablo, so the later player was called Javier, and later referred to as Javier. La Liara's teachers, such as Basco and Pablo Otero, regard Gavi as a "beast" with a ball on his foot. Otero recalled: "He has the attitude you see now. At the beginning, Garvey seemed shy and didn't exist. But when he came on the stage, he immediately became the leader of his teammates and the first person to appear in every hot spot. Garvey is not a selfish player. He likes to score many goals by himself. He always scores many goals by himself. The first to stand up and attack. I don't think he has changed. "
Gavi's neighbors believe that the secret to his success lies in his family. His parents always supported their son and never pressured Gavi on his way to top football.
By shining at La Liara, Gavi built a reputation and caught the attention of Betis. Since the age of six, this team has contacted and invited Gavi to practice. At the age of nine, he signed a contract with Betis and did not stay there long. In a youth tournament, Gavi's Betis beat Barca's youth team 5-0, and he himself scored a hat-trick. Almost immediately, the Catalan giants recruited outstanding talent who had just beaten their youth team.
At the age of 11, Gavi moved with his family to Barcelona after he was recruited by Barca. At first, he was cared for by his parents in an apartment provided by the football team. Within a year, Gavi decided to say goodbye to his family to live with his young teammates in La Masia - Barca's academy. Coach Pau Moral of Barca's youth team commented: "In the past, many people have warned me that Betis will cause difficulties because they have an outstanding talent named Gavi. When he moved here, it did not take long. for Gavi to make a mark despite playing in a high-quality team."
According to Moral, Gavi's youth also have some outstanding talents such as Alex Valle - who currently plays for FC Andorra on loan, or Marc Jurado - who now plays for Man Utd. "To step into such a generation and stand out is not easy, but Gavi did. He surprised me with his enthusiasm in every situation, even as a technical player. That's not to mention his fighting spirit. Every time he stepped on the field, whether for practice or official, he was always devoted. It was a beast."
Moral's most memorable memory of Gavi is when his students debuted with the U12 team. It was a youth league match against Espanyol. Gavi scored, but the price was not cheap: he received a blow to the face and broke both his nose and teeth. Doctors had to operate on Gavi and he spent several weeks in the hospital recovering from his injuries.
When Gavi returned to the field, the opponent was Betis in another youth league game. In the final minutes of the game, Gavi received a cross and headed his head as if there was no tomorrow, leaving the opposing goalkeeper helpless. Moral laughed: "After what he's been through, he still doesn't care. Gavi has no fear, just rushes into the ball like a lion. Any other player would hesitate when he's just right. going through such a terrifying trauma."
In the summer of 2021, after hearing positive words about this young talent, then Barca coach Ronald Koeman decided to let Gavi - then 16 years old - participate in the first team training tour. Obviously, the Dutch military leader was not disappointed because Gavi is not only a name. On August 29 of that year, Gavi played his first professional match at Camp Nou against Getafe at the age of 17 years and 24 days. More than a month later, coach Luis Enrique made him the youngest player in Spain's history when he played against Italy in the Nations League.
A year later, Gavi was known to the football world, had a contract until 2026 with Barca with a release clause of more than 1 billion USD, and then started when Spain attended the 2022 World Cup. Barca, he wears the number 6 shirt like the legendary Xavi during his time playing football and is an indispensable part of this coach's squad.
When facing Barca today, Man Utd will have to pay special attention to this midfielder. Behind the angelic young face, the shoes without laces in a way like no other is a lion taking the main kick at the most competitive club and team in the world.
