Friday, May 22, 2009

Liverpool Sign Barcelona Youth Wizard

Liverpool have appointed the coach that helped to groom many of the current crop of homegrown Barcelona players as Rafa Benitez seeks to overhaul the Anfield club's youth set-up.

Pep Segura worked at Camp Nou with the youngsters in a two-year spell that saw him help discover such talents as Bojan Krkic, Sergi Busquets and Pedro.

The 48-year-old spent three seasons at the Catalan club at a time when Andres Iniesta made his first-team breakthrough and is now set to be asked to help restructure things at Anfield.

Benitez wants the club to produce more of its own players to complement the big money signings that he is planning and sees Segura as a key piece in his jigsaw.

"There is much work to do at the Academy," Benitez is quoted as saying by Sport.

"Pep has worked with some of the young talents in Spain and knows how to reach the top, the first team.”

After Barcelona, Segura became the assistant to former Blaugrana boss Llorenç Serra Ferrer at AEK, before taking over as head coach at Olympiakos having worked under Takis Lemonis for a year.

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