The Bayelsa State Government has appointed two technical experts from FC Barcelona, Bernat Villa Gorriz and Alberto Lafuente Rincon, to lead a new programme for developing local football talent and strengthening the state’s football structure.
Gorriz, an experienced coach and technical director, has over 15 years of work in elite player development, coaching education and international football projects. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and a UEFA A coaching licence, combining analytical skills with advanced coaching knowledge.
He began his career in Catalonia with youth focused clubs such as CF Damm, Atletic Sant Just and Sant Cugat, before joining FC Barcelona’s Barca Academy in 2013. He later served as Technical Director of Barca Academy Lagos in 2016, Technical Director for the Americas in 2019 and then oversaw the club’s academies across Europe, Africa and the Americas.
By 2024, Gorriz also worked as Project Manager for Africa in Barcelona’s scouting department, where he helped design talent identification strategies and long term development plans across the continent.
Lafuente Rincon, a senior football executive with more than a decade of international experience, brings expertise in elite player development, coach education and management of high performance programmes. He has a degree in Sports Science and a UEFA B coaching licence.
He started his career at CD Numancia in Spain and joined Barca Academy Lagos in 2018. In 2019 he became Technical Director at Barca Academy Pune in India, where he supervised the academy’s sporting strategy, technical structure and coaching education.
Between 2019 and 2025, Lafuente Rincon managed several Barca Academy projects in Dubai, the United States and Japan, ensuring consistent methodology and strong operations. He also coordinated global Barca Academy camps in Taiwan, Australia, Argentina and Colombia to standardise coaching frameworks and support sustainable football growth.
For Bayelsa State, officials say the arrival of Gorriz and Lafuente Rincon is a major boost for young players and local coaches. The partnership is expected to turn their international expertise into new opportunities for homegrown talent and long term sports development in the state.
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