Óscar López is the coach of Castellón B, who will face Barça A this Wednesday. He has played at the club from youth levels up to the first team and has spent six years developing the youth squads.
In an interview with SPORT, he explained that things are going well at Castellón. The players are eager to become professionals, with some already close to the first team. His signing was arranged quickly with help from the sporting director Ramón and technical secretary Tomeu.
López sees little difference between coaching Castellón B and Barça's Juvenil team — it mostly concerns team and staff management. The Segunda RFEF is tough, demanding maturity and strong effort because of direct duels and second-ball situations.
Castellón B is highly motivated to challenge an important rival like Barça. López is convinced they will make things difficult and can compete against anyone.
Regarding Barça’s Juvenil squad, he highlights players such as Jofre, Brian Fariñas, Toni, Guille, Dani Rodríguez, and Víctor Barberá. He notes that the closer a reserve team is to the first team in terms of competition level, the better for player adaptation.
About Dro’s departure from Barça, López comments that football is accelerating nowadays. Having trained exceptional talents like Lamine Yamal, Fermín, and Cubarsí, he knows not all players can progress that quickly, as adaptation takes time.
He also touched on injuries in Barça’s squad, suggesting they may stem from a high number of games and psychological pressure on players.
López isn’t focused on proving himself to Barça, feeling at home in Castellón where he wants to succeed. He maintains a friendly relationship with former Barça Juvenil assistant coach Julián Bellei, who has a promising coaching future.
When asked about Bellei’s future at the first team, López believes it’s possible with club support and close work with the sporting director.
Finally, López does not close the door on returning to Barça. Having been with the club from age eight to 22 and reached the first team, he still holds affection for Barça but views professional football as his career path with opportunities wherever offered, which led him to Castellón.
