We're World Cup year and once again, Englands performance will be scrutinised and depending on how well they perform, so will be the youth development system.
Under the English football system, reserve teams play in a completely separate league system to the first teams. However, in Spain, some reserve teams (Real Madrid Castilla and Barcelona B as examples) play in the same league system, though aren't able to play in the same league as the first team.
Is this system one of the keys behind Spains recent domination of football, both domestic and international?
The reserve teams of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Celta Vigo, Sporting Gijon, Getafe and more all currently play in the main league system, all with mostly (in some cases all) Spanish players.
Barcelona B are currently in 6th place in Segudna Division (the league below La Liga) which, if eligible to qualify for, would but them in the play offs for promotion to Spanish footballs top division.
Lionel Messi started off his Barcelona career by playing a season for Barcelona C (this team was disbanded in 2007), then moved on to Barcelona B for a season before playing for the first team from 2004. Could this development of playing matches against competitive first team players every week be one of the keys to success in Spanish football?
