OH Leuven academy proud of youth product Jesse Bisiwu impressing at FC Barcelona

The youth academy of Belgian football club OH Leuven is celebrating the success of Jesse Bisiwu, a promising young talent who began his football journey with them before making a significant move to FC Barcelona this summer. Bisiwu, who joined OH Leuven at the age of six, transferred to Club Brugge at 12 and has now taken a major step in his career by joining the Spanish giants.

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We have done everything we could to keep him longer.

This past weekend, Bisiwu made an immediate impact, scoring two goals in a friendly match for FC Barcelona's youth team against FC Basel. One goal was a spectacular long-range effort, and the second was a tap-in assisted by Barcelona star Yamine Yamal. This impressive performance marks a strong start for the 18-year-old at his new club.

Jo Van Grunderbeeck, head coach at the OHL Academy, expressed the club's pride in Bisiwu's achievements. "Jesse was already one of our better players back then," Van Grunderbeeck said. "He played with us from age 6 to 12." He acknowledged that while Bisiwu's immediate impact is special, comparing him to established stars like Yamal requires consistent performance week after week. However, he noted similarities in their profiles: speed, agility, and fantastic dribbling skills.

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Jesse was already one of our better players back then.

Van Grunderbeeck also revealed that OH Leuven made considerable efforts to retain Bisiwu when Club Brugge showed interest. "We did everything we could to keep him longer," he stated. "I even went to Jesse's home. Unfortunately, there was a bidding war, as happens in football, even for 12-year-olds. We couldn't match that."

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Belgian top talents often leave for abroad, but directly to a big club like FC Barcelona, that is quite special.

Despite losing Bisiwu, OH Leuven views his transfer as a positive story that highlights the quality of their youth academy. "We are in the top 5 best youth academies in Belgium, and we have the lowest budget in that ranking," Van Grunderbeeck added. "This shows that we are doing good work. With an example like Jesse, we can inspire our young players."

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We are in the top 5 best youth academies in Belgium, and we have the lowest budget in that ranking. This shows that we are doing good work. With an example like Jesse, we can inspire our young players.