Six Academy players have made their first team debut this season
Borja Garcés, Montero, Joaquín, Víctor Mollejo, Solano and Camello played their first official minutes with our first team during the 2018-19 season, following the footsteps of the other 21 Academy players who have made their first team debuts under Diego Pablo Simeone.
The Atlético de Madrid Academy is currently in great shape. Not only have our youth teams won 17 trophies this season (as of May 29), but our young Academy players have also played an important role in Simeone's squad throughout the 2018-19 season. In fact, the Argentine coach called up 16 youngsters for the pre-season.
The tally of Academy footballers who have made their official first team debuts under Simeone now stands at 27, six of them during the 2018-19 season: Borja Garcés, Francisco Javier Montero, Joaquín Muñoz, Andrés Solano, Víctor Mollejo and Sergio Camello. In fact, the former and the latter scored on their debut, earning Atleti points in the LaLiga matches against Eibar and Levante.
Moreover, Dos Santos, Olabe, Alberto Rodríguez 'Tachi', Mikel Carro, Manu Sánchez, Gustavo Assunçao, Ricard, Cristian Rodríguez, San Román and Rodrigo Riquelme 'Roro' were also called up for official first team games. The first two players were part of the squad that won the UEFA Super Cup in August. On the other hand, Carlos Isaac and Toni Moya also played with Simeone's side in the 2018-19 season, but they had made their debuts the previous year.
| BORJA GARCÉS (06/08/1999) |
The striker from Melilla, who joined our Academy in 2016, made his official first team debut on Sep. 15 against Eibar. The Spaniard came on for Rodrigo in the 71st minute and scored the equaliser in stoppage time as the Wanda Metropolitano erupted. Garcés had already played with the first team in the friendly games against Nigeria and Cagliari, scoring in both matches. The striker signed a contract extension until 2022 in January. |
| FRANCISCO JAVIER MONTERO (14/01/1999) |
The centre-back from Seville made his official debut during the Copa del Rey Round of 32 first leg against San Andreu on Oct. 30. The defender played the full game against the Catalan side, and in the following months he did the same in LaLiga and the Champions League. The Spaniard has played 14 official first team games this season, seven of which as a starter. Montero has made Fútbol Draft’s Team of the Year, which recognises the best young talents in Spanish football. |
| JOAQUÍN MUÑOZ (10/03/1999) |
The winger made his first team debut on Jan. 19 at Huesca, when he came on for Lemar in the last minutes of the game. After over four years at our Academy, the Spaniard fulfilled his dream of making his LaLiga debut. Muñoz had already been a part of the pre-season, during which he scored against Stuttgart. |
| ANDRÉS SOLANO (24/02/1998) |
The Colombian was a starter in our home match against Leganés on Mar. 9. The full-back had already been a part of Simeone’s pre-season squad. “I’m very excited to have made my debut in front of these fans, at this stadium, at this club,” Solano said after the game. |
| VÍCTOR MOLLEJO (21/01/2001) |
The striker is the first player born in the 21st century to have made his official first team debut. A product of our Academy, which he joined at age nine, Mollejo made his first team debut on Jan. 19 during our 3-0 win over Huesca. |
| SERGIO CAMELLO (10/02/2001) |
The striker from Madrid, who joined our club at age eight, is the latest Academy player to have made his first team debut. He did so during our LaLiga clash against Levante on May 18. The Spaniard came on after the break and scored the equaliser in the 79th minute, thus becoming our first goalscorer born in the 21st century. |
