"Assim eu me acomodo | Com o que Deus criou | Deus tem diverso modo | Diversos modos sou”.
Fernando Pessoa, Obras, I
Catalan FC Barcelona continues to rely on youth, and midfielder Pedro Fernandez, who made history in the Spanish Championship on September 28, is a fresh example. The 17-year-old made his debut in the match of the 7th round of La Liga against Real Sociedad and became the youngest player to enter the field this season.
Fernandez was 17 years and 259 days old when he entered the field. This allowed him to break the record of Getafe defender Davinci, who made his debut this season at the age of 17 years and 305 days. The young Catalan started the match in the starting line-up and played the entire first half, after which he was replaced at half-time. Despite the modest time spent on the field, the Barcelona coaching staff was pleased with his work and noted that this was just the beginning of the journey. 
For Fernandez, this match was special not only because of the debut, but also because the opponent was a strong Real Sociedad, against which the young player had to act under serious pressure. Nevertheless, he showed confidence in short passes and diligence in selection, which indicates his willingness to adapt to the level of La Liga.
The young midfielder holds dual citizenship of Spain and the Philippines. So far, he is playing for the Spanish youth national teams, but the Philippine Football Federation is also actively showing interest in the player, hoping that in the future he can choose their national team.
Pedro is a graduate of the La Masia Academy, which is traditionally called the forge of Barcelona talents. He is called a player with a good vision of the field and the ability to connect to the attack. Many experts are already comparing Fernandez's style to the young Iniesta, although the footballer himself is still cautious in his forecasts and tries to focus on training.
The Catalan club is known for trusting young talents. It is enough to recall Lamin Yamal, Gavi or Pedri, who also debuted at a young age and quickly became key figures in the main team. Barcelona's management understands that financial constraints force the club to rely on its own students, and Fernandez's debut is another confirmation of the correctness of this strategy.
It is symbolic that in the season when the team under the leadership of Hans-Dieter Flick demonstrates stability and takes the first place in the La Liga table (19 points after seven rounds), a new young talent appears in the squad.
After defeating Real Sociedad 2-1, Barcelona continued to hold the lead in the championship. The Basques remained on the 17th line with 5 points and risk being in the relegation zone if they cannot improve their results in the coming rounds.
In the next match, Barca will visit Sevilla on October 5 — this match promises to be a serious test for the young Catalan squad. Real Sociedad will host Rayo Vallecano on the same day, where they will try to rehabilitate themselves for their poor start to the season.
Fans and experts agree that Pedro has a long way to go, but his debut gives us hope that Barcelona has found another "nugget" who can become part of the main pack in the coming years. Everything will depend on his character, his work in training and his ability to cope with a high level of competition
