Barcelona Wonderkid Orian Goren Sparking International Tug-of-War

Orian Goren is considered the future of Israeli football. The 17-year-noted wonderkid, who has already featured for Barcelona's senior team in pre-season matches, recently shone with Israel's youth national team, and his senior debut seems only a matter of time.

Technically, Goren can also represent Spain and the Czech Republic, as his mother is Czech. This possibility resurfaced this week after the brilliant midfielder was included in the Guardian's list of the 60 most talented youngsters in the world. The respected English newspaper noted that a international football war is already underway between Israel and the Czech Republic over him.

Tomáš Kolbajt, coach of the Czech Republic under-17 national team, addressed the issue a few months ago, stating: "He plays in the Israeli national team with players a year older than him, and I feel that right now he wants to continue on this path. But that certainly doesn't mean he didn't want to represent the Czech Republic. We are not closing the door on him, quite the opposite."

In the Czech Republic, reports on Friday suggested the situation has shifted somewhat, as Goren has also played with the under-21 national team—testifying to his desire to represent Israel over other squads. "This does not create a regulatory problem for the Czech Republic in its attempts to persuade Goren to represent it, since current rules for changing national team affiliation are more flexible than in the past. However, it means Israel currently holds the advantage in the battle for Barcelona's diamond."

"He has excellent technique and is highly advanced tactically, both with and without the ball," the Guardian wrote of Goren. "He perfectly understands Barcelona's football philosophy. He is a very versatile player, and besides more attacking roles, he can also excel in the position once played by Sergio Busquets."