+100 years of our Youth Academy

- 1923
  
  Pasabalón and the creation of the Peña Saprissa, germen of perico fútbol base.
  
  Luis Gamito Iturralde arrived in Barcelona and fell in love with Espanyol. He started working at the Club, looking after the Sarrià pitch and, over time and with his footballing experience, he soon began to dedicate himself to coaching the youngsters who were just starting out. He created three children's teams called 'Pasabalón', 'Los Chavales' and 'Iruña'. The nickname "Pasabalón" came about when Francisco González, an Espanyol player, saw him constantly repeating the phrase "¡Pasa el balón, pasa el balón!" during matches. Ricardo Saprissa, Espanyol player and honorary president, joined the project as its patron and the youth team was renamed Peña Saprissa and then Grupo Deportivo Saprissa.
- 1940
  
  The first internationals from the youth academy
  
  During the 1940s, Espanyol took charge of grassroots football, which continued to be led by Pasabalón until his retirement. Under his tutelage, the first internationals to emerge from the youth system made their debuts, true symbols of the Blue and Whites' history: Josep Trias, Alberto Martorell and Ricardo Teruel.
- 1969-70
  
  Dani Solsona, the first big talent from the youth academy
  
  Dani, known as 'el noi de Cornellà' (the boy from Cornellà) joined the team at the age of 12, and was the first to complete all the stages of training in the modern era. Forty years later, Óscar Melendo would echo this achievement and magnify it further by going through all the stages starting at the U7s at the age of six.
- 1970-71
  
  The arrival of Joan Escoda and the rise of Espanyol's football academy
  
  This season marked an important turning point for the youth academy, by winning the Catalan Championship for the first time in its history in all categories: U9/U10, U12, U18, and amateur. Joan Escoda, youth academy football coordinator, was a key figure in this achievement, and by 1973 the club already had more than 200 youth academy players. His successor, Joan Rodríguez "Rodri", also became an important name in the club's history.
- 1983
  
  Jo, Cantera.
  
  During the presidency of Antonio Baró, the cantera became the Club's slogan, thanks to a generation of players such as 'Tintín' Márquez, Edu Mauri, Diego Orejuela and Josep Maria Gallart. As a result of an innovative communication campaign that was publicised on all the billboards in Barcelona, Perico's grassroots football was presented to the world as one of Espanyol's hallmarks.
- 1990
  
  Creation of Espanyol B
  
  The club decided to create a subsidiary B team, having come to an agreement with Cristinenc club from Santa Cristina d'Aro, which had previously been the subsidiary team of CE L'Hospitalet. The team was called Cristinenc Espanyol, and they played at Jupiter football club's pitch. In 1994 they became known as Espanyol B.
- 1993
  
  Birth of women's grassroots football
  
  The 1993-94 season saw the birth of women's grassroots football, with the creation of two teams that joined the first team. Thus, the women's team would consist of an A team, which would play at the Provenzana Field (L'Hospitalet); a B team, based at Vall d'Hebron and a 7-a-side football C team, which, curiously, would play at the Riera de Cornellà Field, located on the land currently occupied by the RCDE Stadium. Subsequently, with the expansion of teams, all the women's teams would concentrate their activity at La Teixonera until the move to Dani Jarque in 2003. From this successful youth academy have emerged talented players such as Raquel Cabezón, Dolors Ribalta, Miriam Diéguez, Marta Torrejón, Alexia Putellas, Andrea Pereira and Lara Rabal.
- 1997-98
  
  The year of the Intertoto Cup players
  
  Espanyol B, led by Martínez Salinas, was on the verge of being promoted to Second A just four years after its was first created. Little did the members of that wonderful generation know that they would not have a holiday that year, as just two weeks after their promotion attempt, first team coach Marcelo Bielsa ruled out the starters for pre-season and chose players from Espanyol B to take part in the Intertoto Cup. Raúl Tamudo, Sergio González, Quique de Lucas, Toni Soldevilla, Alfredo Argensó, Pedro Nieto and Joan Capdevila (later world champion with the Spanish national team) were some of the most outstanding players from that successful generation of Espanyol's youth academy, led by coach Paco Flores.
- 1997
  
  Raúl Tamudo's debut in the first team
  
  This player was to become a true legend of the club. Raúl Tamudo is the player who has worn the RCD Espanyol shirt the most times, with 389 official matches, as well as becoming the top scorer in the Club's history in the League and also the top Catalan scorer (129 goals).
- 2001
  
  Inauguration of the Ciudad Deportiva
  
  In 2001, the Club's Ciudad Deportiva was inaugurated, after grassroots football had been played on different pitches in Barcelona for a long time. This fulfilled one of the great desires of the Board of Directors, led by Dani Sánchez Llibre, to regain their heritage after the loss of Sarrià. Designed by Club legend Rafa Marañón, this modern 60,000 m² complex is located just 10 minutes from the centre of Barcelona and houses training grounds, gyms and other state-of-the-art facilities for the team's sporting development. Since 2012, the complex has been named Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque, in honour of Dani Jarque (1983-2009), who was captain of the first team.
- 2009
  
  The Eternal Legend: Dani Jarque 21, immortal symbol of RCD Espanyol
  
  The unforgettable career of Dani Jarque, from his beginnings in youth academy football to becoming captain of the first team, left an indelible mark on the history of RCD Espanyol. His shirt number 21 became a symbol that was worshipped by fans, who recognised his incomparable dedication and passion. Dani Jarque is remembered as a benchmark for the club, thanks to his dedication, leadership and unconditional love for football. His legacy continues to inspire future generations of RCD Espanyol, in every match at the stadium and through every player at the Ciutat Esportiva that was named after him.
- 2011
  
  The legacy of Josep Manel Casanova
  
  It's impossible to understand Espanyol's modern academy without mentioning Josep Manel Casanova, who was a key figure and coordinator between 1990 and 2011. His dedication and talent led Espanyol's youth academy to be considered one of the best in Europe. Years later, the RCD Espanyol players' residence changes its name to the Josep Manel Casanova Residence in memory of the coordinator and architect of the club's youth academy football.
- 2022
  
  From Sadrià to La 21
  
  Today, La 21 has become a true denomination of origin, a benchmark in international grassroots football. Ciudad Deportiva Dani Jarque has 12 men's teams, between 7 and 22 years of age, with a total of 207 players, and a structure of 85 people who ensure that the talent at grassroots level shines. The women's team also has a powerful structure, with 7 teams, 132 players and a staff of 44 professionals. A factory of quality, but also full of the values that represent Espanyol. And a common battle cry: "Som orgull, som passió, sacrifici… ESPANYOL!"
- 2023
  
  100 years of history our Youth Academy
  
  RCD Espanyol celebrated the centenary of our Youth Academy. Surrounded by the youth teams, tribute was paid to all the protagonists who have been taken part of our legacy. The event was also attended by institutions and representatives of the Catalan teams. Our grassroots football has an incalculable prestige. Admired and respected, our Youth Academy is a reference model in the training of players and a key part in the structure of the Club.