According to Diario Sport, 72-year-old Javier Ares, when discussing the current state of Spanish football and cycling, commented on De la Fuente, Barcelona's youth academy, and Mourinho's return to Real Madrid.
Javier Ares is one of the most influential journalists in the cycling field. He has a long history in sports media, having worked for radio stations such as Antena 3 and Onda Cero, and has also been a long-time contributor to football news.
When Real Madrid Television and Barcelona Television were established in 1999, Ares served as the first director of Real Madrid Television. He promoted a television station later known as "Channel White," which was known for its freer and more rational perspective, a style different from RMTV after Florentino Pérez became president of Real Madrid.
Recently, Ares looked back on the current state of cycling and Spanish football on The Objective’s “Fuera de micrófono” program, and also made some noteworthy remarks.
Speaking about Spain's World Cup victory in the United States, the journalist, who was once a student of José María García, said: "Luck always plays an important role in football, but De la Fuente's work is very significant. Most successful coaches share similar qualities; they are excellent and calm managers, following in the footsteps of Del Bosque."
Ares's comments on Barcelona's youth academy have garnered the most attention. He stated, "The foundation of Spain's success is having excellent players, but I want to say something that I hope won't offend anyone. A significant part of winning the World Cup came from Barcelona's La Masia program. Big clubs are spending money, Real Madrid is no exception, and then we'll complain about why we don't have Spanish players, but how can you have homegrown players if you don't have Spaniards in your team?"
Ares believes that the club's daily operations have their own logic: "This approach is respectable and can bring championships, but it doesn't help the national team. Barcelona was originally worse than Real Madrid in this respect; they signed Maradona, Schuster, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho... but due to necessity, they still have to rely on youth training."
It is precisely because of our reliance on youth academy that we have players like Kubalsi and Lamin Yamal. I extend this point to Athletic Bilbao and other clubs; it is this need that has nurtured so many players. Our youth academy has not only sprouted new shoots but also blossomed into flowers that have brought us so much prestige.
Furthermore, Ares also discussed Mourinho's return to Real Madrid. The veteran journalist believes Real Madrid's choice of the Portuguese coach has a special background: "It surprised me. What philosophy does Mourinho represent, the whip? If a coach can't protect you, you won't stay long anywhere, and Florentino has never trusted coaches."
Mourinho once dominated Guardiola's Barcelona, one of the best teams in history. At the time, I thought Mourinho did a good job, but now I think Florentino only took him because he didn't know what else to do.” Javier Ares is always someone worth listening to.
