IT is often said that success at elite level in professional sport is not an accident. It was instructive to see a shining example of this recently when I had the good fortune to be part of a group of Irish sports and business people on a brief trip to Barcelona which included access to FC Barcelona’s famed academy for the development of professional footballers.

The Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper facility caters for 250 trainees across teams ranging in age from seven to 18 alongside the professional teams (e.g. Barcelona first team, “B” team and under 19 team) and has excellent training, medical and support facilities reflecting the world-leading status of the club and its place in Catalan culture.