Barcelona: 5 wonderkids who failed to make it with the Catalans
By Bence Bocsak
3. Isaac Cuenca
Position: Winger
Current Club: Sagan Tosu
When the thin legged teenager first broke through the ranks at La Masia, Cuenca was viewed as a major prospect. His pace and cultured style of play seemed like the perfect fit for Barcelona’s tiki-taka style of play. After an impressive loan spell at Sabadell, Cuenca made his debut for the club as a 20-year-old coming on as a substitute in a Champions League tie against FC Viktoria Plzen.
Current manager Pep Guardiola viewed Isaac Cuenca in high regard and he kept the winger in and around the first team hoping to gradually help ease him into the side. Guardiola gave Cuenca his first La Liga start just ten days after his senior debut in the Champions League. Cuenca started against RCD Mallorca and he stole the show with a skilful performance in which he netted his first senior goal for Barca and helped the Catalans to a 5-0 win.
Less than two months later, Cuenca netted his second goal in a similar 5-0 victory against Levante. Things looked bright for the Spanish winger and under the guidance of Pep Guardiola Cuenca had the world at his feet.
Unfortunately disaster would strike as Cuenca suffered a major and serious injury during the following season which ruled him out for a considerable period. Upon his return Cuenca was never the same player.
He departed Barcelona in 2014 after a failed loan spell at Ajax and has played for several clubs since then across Spain, Turkey, Israel and now Japan.
Frequent injuries marred Cuenca’s promising Barcelona career and one must wonder how far the Spanish winger could have gone if he would have managed to avoid the treatment room. All together Cuenca made 30 appearances for Barcelona scoring 4 times and giving out 12 assists.