Barça begins the Quique Setién era.

Well, it finally happened. FC Barcelona fired Ernesto Valverde on Monday and brough in Quique Setién as the club’s newest manager. Things had to change and Barça finally decided to become proactive by being reactive and firing Valverde following their loss to Atletico Madrid in the revamped Spanish Super Cup. Valverde’s era was bittersweet with some success but the disappointments will haunt him forever. Quique Setién now is the man to lead the charge and it won’t be easy.

We really were spoilt under the presidency of Joan Laporta. During his reign, the Blaugrana only had two managers, Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. Since then, the Blaugrana have had five different managers. Elections are not that far away so we shall see if Quique Setién will still be the manager by then. For the time being, he has a tough task of rejuvenating a team that has slept walk this season.

Time will tell if Quique Setién was the right hire or not. Valverde came highly rated by many and in the end, many were glad to see him leave. He is already facing one difficult task of finding out what is the best formation and lineup for this team. The absence of Luis Suárez, out with an injury, and Carles Aleñá, out on loan, leaves him somewhat shorthanded. The first area of concern is whether the board will support Quique Setién or work against him. Will they bring him the players he wants or will they sign players they want without his input or approval?

With Suárez out, it’s time for Griezmann to shine but will others also step up? The team has regressed defensively and Setién will not only have to address that issue, but also improve their mental confidence which has become an issue when things don’t go their way. Hopefully Setién will also entrust La Masia and give more minutes to Barça B players such as Riqui Puig with the first team. It’s foolish to expect a quick turn around under Setién but it does feel good to feel optimistic about Barca again.

Time for a Barça Overhaul!

For the second year in a row, Barça crash out of the Champions League’s Quarter-Finals. The team has a few weeks of football left to try to win a domestic double. However, an overhaul is in order for next season.

If there’s ever a line from a movie that is synonymous with FC Barcelona, it has to be the line uttered in The Dark Knight. “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” This applies to both managers and players. We have seen managers such as Cruyff, Rijkaard, Guardiola, and now Luis Enrique be admired only to be turned on by the fans. The same applies with players who were once worshipped but then left the club through the back door. At this moment, Luis Enrique is becoming the villain as the club fails to impress on the pitch.

Today’s scoreless draw against Juventus was Luis Enrique’s final European match as a Barça manager and it ended with a thud. Just a few years ago, he witnessed his team score three goals against Juventus in the Champions League Final. Sadly, his side failed to score over two legs against Juventus this season. Both teams had the same two managers but the performance and results were such a contrast from back then and now.

The manager and the board assembled this team full of expensive signings and what do they have to show for it? All these new signings and only Umtiti has shined. La Masia neglected for expensive signings who have failed to deliver. The short term goal of success over a long term plan of sticking with tradition that got them success has not paid off.

Many Barça haters claim anyone can coach this team to success. Well, for the third time in four seasons, and the last two seasons, Barça are out of the Champions League at the Quarter-Finals stage. Perhaps those who did not appreciate Pep Guardiola can now respect the difficult task of making it to four straight Semi-Finals, and two finals in three years.

Luis Enrique’s baffling decision to start 33 year old smoker Jérémy Mathieu to keep pace with the speedy Juan Cuadrado in the first leg doomed Barça. Mathieu was abysmal just a few days earlier against Malaga and was taken off at halftime. Nonetheless, Lucho started Mathieu against Juventus in Turin and again had to take him off at halftime for Paco Alcácer. The damage was done and it was going to be tough to muster a comeback against this Juventus side.

Lucho’s decision to bring on Mascherano for Sergi Roberto with twelve minutes to go was deflating. The side needed three goals and instead of bringing on Denis Suarez or even the young kid Alena, Lucho brought on a defensive midfielder. At least the team kept a clean sheet. With El Clásico just a few days away, Barça have their backs against the wall in a must win game. Anything else will make their quest for another league title futile.

Juventus were the better side who were also better coached and will now face either Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid or the surprising Monaco in the Semi-Finals. Luck however is not on their side since the last four sides who eliminated Barça at this stage of the competition never went on to win the competition; Paris Saint-Germaine (1994-1995); Juventus (2002-2003); and Atlético (2013-2014 & 2015-2016).

Barça will have an interesting summer ahead of them. The team is in need of an overhaul with more players being sold along with the signing of players needed in certain positions. The idea of assistant coach Juan Carlos Unzué or current Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde are a band aid option at best that fails to generate any enthusiasm. We need a manager from the Cruyff school, such as Oscar Garcia, who will pay attention to the youth and take the club back to the “Total Football” style that has been abandoned for this predictable direct, and also dull, football approach we have witnessed the last two seasons.

Failure to hire the right manager will tarnish Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu’s legacy as the men who inherited one of the greatest football teams of all time, if not the greatest, and allowed it to regress under their watch. Under their watch, they squandered a great squad and allowed Real Madrid to become kings of Europe in football and also in basketball. The idea of success now over a viable long term plan has failed and the right decisions need to be made this summer. The basketball team is already in shambles and we cannot afford to waste the talents of Messi, Iniesta, Pique, Luis Suarez and Neymar by not surrounding them with better players and a better manager.

The Barça Transfers That Almost Happened – Andrea Pirlo & Lorenzo Amoruso

When Pep almost brought the Italian star and how luck separated the club from player from Rangers.

It's that time of the year when we are bombarded with gossip that this player or that player is rumored to be pursued by Barça. Summer transfer window gives us, the Blaugrana faithful, something to discuss and ponder as we wait to see what moves our club will do. The number of players rumored to be joining Barça every summer could be enough to field three additional lineups. In the end, only a few of the rumors became reality while most dissipate into the wind. This series though will look back on the possible Barça transfers that almost happened. This chapter deals with the pursuit of the Italian players Andrea Pirlo and Lorenzo Amoruso.

The 2010 Joan Gamper Trophy match saw the return of Ronaldinho to the Camp Nou, as a member of the Milan team that played Barça that night. Obviously, it was special for the Camp Nou faithful to pay tribute to one of the biggest stars to ever play for the club. However, it was also a difficult night for the club as they were finalizing a deal to offload Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Milan. David Villa had been signed by Barça and they were in need to offload the Swede after he was deemed surplus to requirements by then manager Pep Guardiola.

While the media and the fans were wondering if Ibrahimovic had made his final appearance in the Blaugrana kit that night, another development was taking place elsewhere at the Camp Nou involving Guardiola and a certain Milan player. Rossoneri legend Andrea Pirlo had just finished changing, after witnessing his “Panenka” penalty effort thwarted by Barça keeper Pinto during the penalty shootout, when he was requested to meet with Guardiola. The meeting in in Guardiola’s office was a private recruiting pitch.

This ocurrence was so private that the rest of the world did not learn of this encounter till four years had passed, after Pirlo published his autobiography “I Think Therefore I Play.” This meeting lasted half an hour with Pirlo being greeted with red wine and Pep uttering “We need you here, Andrea.” Pep explained that he considered Pirlo the proper world class midfielder to rotate with Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Pep also indicated that the club wanted to buy him now and had spoken to Milan but Barça’s offer was declined. Pep was also shrewd suggesting to Pirlo to apply some pressure on Milan by “forcing their hand as well."

Pep’s interest in Pirlo was not unexpected since they are midfielders that shared similar traits. Pep admired Pirlo and Pirlo idolized Pep. Both also played for Italian side Brescia, albeit not at the same time, along with Roberto Baggio, and when Carlo Mazzone was the manager. Pirlo could have been a superb choice to rotate with the likes of Xavi. Pirlo even admitted in his book that he would have crawled on all fours to join Barça. However, the deal failed to materialize and the club signed Javier Mascherano instead. Not a bad outcome in the slightest considering the Argentine's success at the club.

Barça were not his only suitors as Pirlo almost joined Chelsea in 2009, but Milan demanded too much in return, and there was also interest from Real Madrid. Yet, Milan were not interested in selling Pirlo to Barça and kept him for the 2010/2011 season while Barça would go on to win another Champions League. Ironically, that would be Pirlo’s final season with Milan as he only made 25 appearances for the club, the fewest since his first season with Milan in 2001/2002. The Italians decided not to renew his contract and he joined Juventus on a free transfer. One wonders why Barça also did not make a move for him back then.

Perhaps signing Cesc Fàbregas the following summer eliminated the need to sign Pirlo. Looking back at that move now, many would have preferred if Barça had signed Pirlo and not Cesc. Nonetheless, one has to wonder if signing Pirlo would have been a good move for Barça. Franco Colomba, Pirlo’s manager at Reggina, expressed his doubts to FourFourTwo that Pirlo would not have enjoyed sitting on the bench at Juventus if he could play elsewhere and that it would have created tension. Maybe Pep’s influence would have smoothed that issue.

Nevertheless, Pirlo still got to be admired by Barça fans, even though he was donning another team’s shirt. Following Barça’s Champions League final win over Juventus in 2015, the Barça fans in Berlin showed their appreciation towards the legendary player by chanting Pirlo’s name as he was in tears following his side’s loss. Perhaps he took some solace from that nice gesture that maybe also took some of the sting out of that defeat.

Coincidentally, Barça does not have a rich history of signing Italian players as the club only had three Italian players representing the club. All those players arrived in this century: Gianluca Zambrotta, who lasted two years, was signed in 2006; Francesco Coco, who joined the club on loan for the 2001/2002 season; and Demetrio Albertini, who joined the club on loan for the second half of the 2004/2005 season. All three would have forgettable spells with the club. Although Thiago Motta played for Barcelona’s first team from 2001 till 2007, he was a member of Brazil’s U-23 side before he got his first cap for Italy in 2011.

One Italian player that Barça allegedly were interested was Glasgow Rangers defender, Lorenzo Amoruso as he would captain his team to a domestic treble during the 1999/2000 season. At the time, there were reports that he was being pursued by Barça, Juventus and Bayern Munich. Amoruso even talked in an April 2000 interview with the Daily Record of Barça’s interest but was only willing to join if Rangers agreed to sell him. "It's true that these teams are behind me. Barcelona and Bayern Munich were looking for me, but I will only speak to them if Rangers say that Lorenzo is for sale.”

Back then, Josep Lluís Núñez was president of the club and the Blaugrana had just eliminated Chelsea in the Champions League quarterfinals. It was possible that the club, then managed by Louis van Gaal, were interested in signing the 29 year old Italian defender who likes to refer to himself in the third person. A month later, Barça were embarrassed by Valencia in the semifinals of the Champions League as both Josep Lluís Núñez and van Gaal left the club in the summer. A new president would have to be elected, and any rumors linked to the Italian disappeared. Amoruso would then claim that he turned down Barça to remain with Rangers.

Ultimately, one could say Pirlo would have been a superb addition that could have complemented this magnificent Barça midfield. He also could have been the first Italian signing that was not deemed a flop. Yet, the failed attempt in signing him did not hinder Barça as the club did go on to win two more Champions League titles since that Joan Gamper Trophy match. As for Amoruso, it’s probably for the best that he never joined just to be remembered as another member of the bad signings from the awful Gaspart era.

Neymar’s Alarming Second Half Slump.

For the second season in a row, Neymar’s form has been disappointing. Although last year’s dip was expected, this year’s slump is surprising.

Last season, I discussed the difficult challenge that awaited Neymar during the second half of his debut season for Barça. History has shown us that most recent Barça transfers have sizzled in the first half of the season only to fizzle in the ensuing second half. Sadly, history repeated itself when Neymar joined the likes of Ibrahimovic and Cesc in disappearing in the second half of the season.

The reasons, or excuses, for Neymar’s slump were because of the injury he suffered back in January along with the never ending controversy surrounding his transfer that affected him mentally. I suggested he should have been benched back then but of course, it is rare to find a manager not named Pep Guardiola who would dare to bench an expensive signing. Sadly, Barça and Neymar’s season both fizzled out in disappointing fashion.

However, this season was supposed to be different. With a year under his belt, Neymar was supposed to have gotten used to playing for Barça,and in Europe, and showed signs of improvement. It had happened with Henry during his time with Barça, and Neymar was off to a great start this season. However, we are now witnessing consecutive slumps by the Brazilian superstar at a time when the club really needs him.

The Three Tenors were an unstoppable force but suddenly, it has become the Messi & Company show. Barça are entering the most crucial stage of the season and Neymar needs to find his groove back. Without a doubt, it is frustrating for him and for the fans. We all want a fully functioning Barça team causing havoc. For that to happen though, Neymar needs to cool it with the on field squabbles with opponents, and the off field distractions and just start playing better. Messi may be amazing, but as we witnessed yesterday, and the second half of last season, he still needs the players around him to step up too. Hopefully Neymar finds his groove back soon.

Merci Henry!

Former Barça player, Thierry Henry, is calling it a career after 20 years as a professional footballer. His three seasons with the club saw him score 49 goals and win 7 titles. Merci Henry for those three memorable seasons!

The 37 year old Henry announced on his Facebook page today his retirement from professional football.  

After 20 years in the game I have decided to retire from professional football. It has been an incredible journey and I would like to thank all the fans, team mates and individuals involved with AS Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, the New York Red Bulls and of course the French National Team that have made my time in the game so special. 

It is now time for a different career path and I am pleased to say that I will be returning to London and joining Sky Sports. I will hopefully share some of the insights, observations and experiences I have learnt over the years with you guys. 

I have had some amazing memories (mostly good!) and a wonderful experience.

I hope you have enjoyed watching as much as I have enjoyed taking part.

See you on the other side...

Henry’s career spanned 20 years where he played for Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, FC Barcelona, and NY Red Bulls. He came over from Arsenal to Barça in Frank Rijkaard’s last season as Barça manager. The following season, under Pep Guardiola, Barça won the treble where Henry was part of the attacking trio consisting of Messi, Henry and Eto’o. 2009 Henry also was part of the same team that won all 6 cups in one calendar year. Overall, Henry lifted the UEFA Champions League, two Spanish League titles, the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA World Club Cup.

Henry featured in 121 matches and scores 49 times with his most memorable performance against Real Madrid in the 2-6 victory where he scored a brace during the treble season. In my opinion, he is a Barça legend and will forever be remembered for contributing to the team treble and six cups Barça team. Merci Henry!

Fond Memories of Henry’s Time at Barça.

Titi Henry bids farewell to the world of football. As a former Barça player, his time with the club will be fondly remembered as one of those class players who helped shape the club into becoming one of the greatest of sides of all time.

When FC Barcelona signed Thierry Henry, his unveiling at the Camp Nou attracted the masses. After a bumpy first season, which would be Frank Rijkaard’s final season as Barça manager, Henry would help Barça become a force under Pep Guardiola. During Guardiola’s first season, the treble winning 2008-2009 side, Henry was one of the key players as he notched 26 goals in 42 games. The most memorable performance was the brace he scored in the Spanish capital against Real Madrid in that legendary 2-6 win that sealed the league title.

The following season, Henry slowed down, perhaps the toll of so many matches with Barça. His final season with the club saw Eto’o exit the team and Ibrahimovic come instead. The emergence of Bojan and Pedro while Henry struggled to regain his scoring touch, 4 goals in 32 games, along with interest from MLS, resulted in Henry leaving the club at the end of the 2009-2010 season. Nevertheless, he was part of the Barça side that won the treble and the sextuple in one calendar year and be considered one of the greatest sides of all time. Barça won the Copa del Rey, the Spanish league title, UEFA Champions League, Supercopa, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Henry was a unique player who displayed grace with the ball and displayed a superb scoring touch. He left an Arsenal side where he was considered “The Man” and left his ego in check to be one of the guys.  His chemistry with Messi and Eto’o and the rest of the players saw the front three score 72 goals in the 2008-2009 Spanish league. Not all players get to ride off into the sunset, but he left the club with another league title and the admiration of the Blaugrana faithful.  Henry’s playing days are over but his performances for Barça will never be forgotten. Merci Henry.

@IBES16

Will there be an inevitable divorce between Barça and Messi?

A week ago, there was panic in Barcelona over the comments made by Messi and his father about his future with Barça. A week later, we are celebrating Messi becoming the all-time goal scorer in Spanish league history and UEFA Champions League history. It has been all smiles for Messi but the question remains; will there be an inevitable divorce between Barça and Messi? History has shown that it is likely.

First of all off, congratulations to Messi on breaking two historic scoring records. Messi made his debut ten years ago and it was unfathomable that he would go on to accomplish so many feats with the Blaugrana. Where he ranks amongst the greatest players of all-time is up for debate. What is not debatable is that he is Barça’s greatest player of all time.

Barça have had many great players over the years and the majority share one thing in common; unhappy exits from the club. Throughout the history of the Blaugrana, many big name stars have exited the club for different reasons. It is very rare to see players retire as Barça players. Paulino Alcántara, Rexach, Migueli, Luis Enrique and Puyol are just some that come to mind that did. Some players in their mid-30’s, such as Cesar Rodriguez, left where their services were not needed and the players felt they still had some football left in them . Pep was 30 and wanted to play in other leagues. Kubala, the man the Camp Nou was built for, retired as a Barça player to become a youth manager before becoming the first team manager. However, his Barça coaching career did not last long and he was dismissed. Kubala wanted to still play for Barça but the club was not interested and he became a player manager for Espanyol where he teamed up with Real Madrid legend, Alfredo Di Stefano.

Barça’s first ever Golden Ball winner, Luis Suarez, exited the club because of financial reasons. The club had to cash in on their star player after they fell upon hard financial times. One of Barça’s first superstars, Josep Samitier, starred for Barça between 1919-1932. Unfortunately, he would become the first in a long line of Barça players who clashed with the board and left the club as a result. Samitier and the club had their differences and he left to join Real Madrid.

Maradona and Schuster both clashed with egotistical Barça president Núnez in the 80’s that saw Maradona get sold to Napoli while Schuster followed in Samitier’s path and joined Real Madrid when his contract ended. Others, such as Michael Laudrup and Romario had differences with Barça manager Johan Cruyff. Romario was off loaded after being in Cruyff’s doghouse following the 1994 World Cup success, while Michael Laudrup also joined the ranks of former Barça players to depart the club and join arch rivals Real Madrid. Laudrup was not selected by Cruyff for the 1994 European Cup Final because of the foreign players quotas at the time, so he joined Real Madrid the following season when his contract ended. There is also rumor that another reason why Cruyff dropped him was that Laudrup was fooling around with Cruyff’s daughter. Cruyff also had his problems with Barça president Núnez who ultimately fired the legendary manager.

Brazilians were no exception either after Romario. Brazilian legend Ronaldo also left the club after just one season after contract negotiations for a new contract fell apart and Inter ended up breaking the transfer fee record for him. Rivaldo on the other had problems with both the board and the manager Louis van Gaal and in the end, Rivaldo’s contract was terminated when Louis van Gaal was brought back to manage the club for a second stint. Ronaldinho went from savior to persona non-grata after many, including manager Pep Guardiola, thought he had lost his way and had become a negative influence on Messi. Brazilian born but Portuguese naturalized Deco had a quiet exit and joined Chelsea.

Even during Pep Guardiola’s era, Barça still had messy divorces with star players. This was however because of the manager, and not the board. Pep Guardiola tolerated the likes of Eto’o and Ibrahimovic for one season before ridding them from the club following clash of personalities. Even the return of the so-called prodigal son, Cesc Fábregas, lasted a few season before he was sold to Chelsea. More recently, Victor Valdés’s exit left a bitter taste for many Blaugrana faithful. Valdés never indicated his reason for leaving but there were whispers that he was not fond of the current Barça board, especially after not hiring his choice of goalkeeper coach when the position became available.

In a rarity, Hristo Stoichkhov left the club twice during the 90’s. The first time because of a deteriorating relationship with manager Johan Cruyff, and he was sold to Parma. He returned when Bobby Robson was the manager but his second exit, this time because of another Dutch manager, van Gaal, where the manager’s tactics were criticized by the Bulgarian Golden Ball winner. Hristo would leave the team and play in different countries before concluding his career in the MLS.

So what about Messi? Will he remain a Barça player till the day he retires or will he end up playing elsewhere else? As much as I am a football romantic, I am also a realist. History has shown us that the chances of Messi retiring as a Barça player are slim. Not one Barça Golden Ball winner has ever retired with this club. The comments from Messi and his father served as a warning shot to the board to not mistreat the player. It also enforced the belief that Messi will never leave the club unless the club wanted to sell him first. Hopefully, the next Barça board to take over from this inept board, and soon,  will make sure Messi stays with the club for a long time…….before he leaves Barça near the end of his career to play in Argentina for his childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys. At least that way, it will not be a messy divorce.

Time to drop Dani Alves?

Barça’s disappointing loss to PSG on Tuesday showed that Lucho still has some work to do. Perhaps one of the things he needs to do is drop Dani Alves. After wowing us his first few seasons, has the time come for Dani Alves to be dropped following some subpar seasons of late.

When FC Barcelona kicked off the new era of Pep Guardiola, one of the biggest signings back then was the Brazilian fullback, Dani Alves. He was 25 years old and fresh from some amazing performances for Sevilla in which he played a part in helping the club capture back to back UEFA Cup titles. He exploded on the scene during that magical Barça treble season as he clicked well with Messi down the right flanks. He was considered one of the best at his position in the world during his first three seasons with the club as the club rose to the top and became one of the greatest sides in football history.

Fast forward to today and Dani Alves is 31 years old and no longer the force he once was. His assists are down and he has become comedy fodder for fans when they count the number of times he whips in a cross to no one. He has become careless with the ball in the attack and has become too sloppy with the ball as evident by him after losing the ball 15 times against PSG. Unfortunately, his turnovers in the attack lead to counter attacks and his lack of hustle down the other side of the pitch leaves much to be desired. Even defensive minded Luiz Felipe Scolari dropped Dani for Maicon in the latter stages of the most recent World Cup so it’s no surprise he’s become a defensive liability.

There was talk all summer long that Luis Enrique wanted to sign Cuadrado to be a weapon on the right side. One doesn’t have to wonder why when you see performances like this from Dani Alves these past few seasons. His drop in form coincided with his marriage ending in December 2011 and he hurt his stock with his attacks on the Blaugrana faithful last season.  He still has those flashes of brilliance here and there but the days of when Dani Alves bossed the right side of the pitch are over.

This is why Luis Enrique needs to decide whether to keep going with him or go with his younger understudy, Martin Montoya. However, Montoya can’t seem to get a game, let alone find a spot on the bench under Lucho. He did perform well against Athletic in subduing Muniain but the way Athletic have been playing this season, it’s not saying much. The less said about Douglas, the better, following his average debut and his medical ailments that followed that forced him to miss his next few games. Montoya attacks well without whipping in useless crosses to no one and are a pretty good defender.

Dani Alves will go down in history as the club’s greatest right back of all time. However, Dani Alves is being remembered more for what he says off the pitch than for what he does on the pitch. So why not give Montoya a shot and not be subjected to more of Dani Alves’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act.

Barça Should Be Run Better.

 Barça continues to enjoy success on the pitch and in financial reports but the way the club is run leaves a lot to be desired. Being run as a fiscal business entity is great if it means the club is in safe financial hands but that same treatment should not be used towards its staff and players. Messi’s outburst is a perfect example of the Barça board making themselves their own worst enemies.

There’s been a lot to cheer for as a Barça fan. Yesterday’s memorable come from behind victory is a perfect example. However, it is still difficult to forget what transpired a few days before the match. Messi’s comments a few days ago to a radio station were unexpected but not surprising. Messi came out with a scathing attacking on Barça Vice-President Javier Faus following the latter’s comments in a recent radio interview as well. It’s rare that we get to see Messi display such temperament in person, let alone on the pitch. However, the club only have themselves to blame for getting such a reaction from Messi. 

Mr. Faus’s stated that he saw no reason the club should improve Messi’s contract while also referring to Messi as “this gentleman” were idiotic and a display of lack of respect and affection by the club towards Messi. It’s not usual that the club seems to lack a bit of common sense when it comes to dealing with individuals at the club; be it managers or players or even staff members.

Even if FC Barcelona continues to grow as a business entity that reaches all across the globe, the club still seems to have a long ways to go in how to treat their own better. Everyone knows how the club’s relationship is with Johan Cruyff, one of the main reasons this club is where it is today. Furthermore, Guardiola left the club under a shroud of dark and mysterious clouds. It is a sad tale of affairs when the club seemingly has no relationship with the last 3 managers who won the club their only Champions League titles; Cruyff, Guardiola and Frank Rijkaard. 

Moreover, their treatment of those figures and current players seem to lack some common sense. It’s embarrassing when the club president, Sandro Rosell, offers to welcome Johan Cruyff to the Camp Nou without first paying the 30,000 euros owed to Cruyff’s charity organization. It’s mind boggling when the team discards one of their important medical trainers without getting some feedback from its players. It’s disturbing when, supposedly, a player suggests a candidate for the goal keeper’s coach position and is denied that choice because such candidate used to play for Real Madrid once.

There is a lack of warmth displayed by the club when it comes to handling things. The club appears to be run by businessmen and accountants who seem to neglect that they are also dealing with human beings who have feelings. The club’s decision not to renew Eric Abidal was heart breaking and somewhat revolting. One director promises that Abidal will have a new deal when he returns to action and a few months later, Abidal is being told his services are no longer needed. That surely disappointed fans but breaking your word to a player is downright disrespectful and you don’t need to be a psychologist to see that this could also bother current players who wonder if their futures lies elsewhere.

Messi’s surprising display of fury when Barcelona Vice President Javier Faus made the foolish statements that he saw no reason the club should improve Messi’s contract and referring to Messi as “un senyor (this gentleman)” were pointless and smacked a sense of out of touch. Messi replied that Faus was someone who “knows nothing about football.” Thus, the flame had been lit. 

Fortunately, Messi’s father put all of us Cules’ fears to rest by reassuring us that Messi was not going to leave the club. Sandro Rosell also replied that his door is always open to Messi. This was the last thing Messi needed following outlandish allegations that Messi and his family were connected to drug trafficking and money laundering. We have grown accustomed to such shady reporting from the Spanish capital media. It’s easier to find someone guilty in the court of public opinion than it is in actual court. I am not expecting the club to start threatening lawsuits on behalf of the player but it would also help if the club was not also adding to his distractions from afar.

In Tito We Trust?

Tito Vilanova’s first year as manager saw him recapture the league title from Real Madrid. Finishing with 100 points and 15 points ahead of Real Madrid were a historic first for the club. Nevertheless, there are issues swirling over the club regarding Tito Vilanova and if he is the right managerial choice? Issues range from not resting his players, ignoring the bench and the younger players and his overall health? Thu, is Tito still the man to lead this club?

Without a doubt, Tito is going to be managing FC Barcelona next season. His first year was successful what with the club recapturing the league crown from arch rivals Real Madrid in historic fashion. The 100 point milestone and finishing 15 points ahead second place Real Madrid was one for the ages. Yet, the season ended on a sour note following Barça’s elimination by Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Semi-Finals and getting hammered by Bayern Munich 7-0 aggregate in UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals. Doubts remain about whether he is the right manager to lead the club due to issues regarding his tactics, lineup selections, health, transfer plans and his handling of Barça B players have warranted plenty of second guessing.

The most important issue is his health. Tito’s first year put his health back in the spotlight when he had to seek medical treatment in New York. Fortunately, he was able to return and finish the season as FC Barcelona’s manager.  However, there will be lingering doubts of whether Tito’s health will suffer a setback just as it did last season. The club perhaps addressed that when they signed Girona’s manager, Rubi, to be one of Tito’s assistants for next season. The train of thought is that Rubi would step in, instead of Jordi Roura, if Tito would have to take another medical leave of absence. However, will that be a step in the right direction if we witness the club struggling again while Tito is in New York?

The other issue is Tito’s style of coaching. The transition from Pep Guardiola to Tito Vilanova saw the team change their style a bit and be a bit more direct. Their defending though regressed as they leaked plenty soft goals far too often.  Yes, they did end up winning the league title and made it to the semi-finals of both Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.

Yet, questions still linger about his coaching. Tito stepping into the shoes of Pep Guardiola reminded me a lot of Barry Switzer taking over of the NFL Dallas Cowboys from Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy Johnson had taken his team, from being an irrelevant team, to two consecutive titles before leaving on bad terms with the team owner Jerry Jones. Barry Switzer came in and won the title in his second year. However, Switzer’s accomplishment was downplayed because of the talented players he inherited from Johnson. The same argument could be made for Vilanova.

Barça’s great start to their league campaign was simply one for the ages. Barça managed to record 55 points out of a possible 57 from their first 19 league matches. Tito received a lot of the acclaim for that feat but the players also played a significant role in that achievement. Graham Hunter indicated that Barça players were still upset at how they lost the league to Mourinho’s Real Madrid and during the preseason, they “made an informal pact” to seek revenge on all those clubs that they dropped points to away during that 2011-2012 season. So was it the Tito factor or Barça players hell-bent on revenge factor?

Furthermore, one of the main criticisms of Tito’s coaching was his lack of plan B. Many times, we saw Tito stick with the same plan and just switch players. That was evident while he was away in New York and after he returned to the dugout.  Many thought that Roura was not up to the task of coaching this talented bunch of players but Tito’s coaching after his return just made it seem obvious that Tito was the one calling the shots at all times. However, his management was met with many second guessing.

For far too long, the Blaugrana faithful have witnessed their team struggle in the second half of the season. Players were fatigued and on the brink of exhaustion brought on from appearing in too many matches. The lack of players’ rotation and resting of key players were on display when Bayern Munich destroyed Barça in both legs of their UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals.  To many, that could have been avoided just by Tito rotating his squad more often, especially after the title had been somewhat secured halfway through the season once Barça enjoyed a 12 point lead over Real Madrid.

Moreover, Tito’s treatment of the Barça B players and his bench bordered on the line of stubbornness or neglectful. There was no reason that Messi should have featured in insignificant matches such as the final group stage match against Benfica were he suffered an injury scare or playing him so soon after returning from international duty. Why didn’t the likes of Bartra, Montoya, and Tello play more often? Tello did not feature against Bayern Munich and wasn’t even on the bench for the 1st leg, played only 10 minutes against PSG and a total of 35 minutes in the Cup and league Clásico encounters that fell on the same week back in late February/early March.

Another negative lasting impact from that Bayern Munich drubbing was Vilanova waiting till the 83rd minute before he made his first substitution when Barça were down 4-0. Was that a testament to his lack of faith in his bench, and if so, will that change next season? Why did he not make his changes sooner and keep the score at a respectable level rather than trust his men and watch them surrender two more goals?  Additionally, why did he not play the younger players in the second leg that had the energy to perhaps rise to the occasion? Tito did not give the start to Tello, Montoya and Thiago and instead opted to go with the likes of Xavi who had already thrown in the towel after the first leg when he admitted that a comeback was “practically impossible”.

Speaking of Thiago, Barça are now about to lose him to Manchester United because his buy-out clause went from €90 million to €18 million because of a contract clause was not triggered after he failed to complete 60% of Barça’s games. Thiago was not too pleased with the lack of playing time from Tito, and the club now faces the possibility of losing a prized gem for a low amount because someone did not read the fine print. Thiago is not alone with the likes of Tello, Bartra, and diamond in the rough Gerard Deulofeu also rumored to be going on loan to other teams.

Finally, the other issue of concern is Tito’s taste for players during the transfer window period. Barça’s need for a center back was obvious last summer and yet the club signed Alex Song. The project to see the defensive midfielder perform as a center back was a failure and with Puyol’s health and career in doubt, along with the club not bringing back Abidal, center back position has to be addressed. Word has it that Tito only wants Thiago Silva and is not considering any other player. If true, then his fixation with the Brazilian center back is a big cause of alarm when you take into consideration the player’s age, price tag and history of injuries.  You would expect a manager to be open-minded and look at the big picture.

Next season will be very interesting indeed. The tide has shifted this summer since Barça’s opponents have improved with the likes of Bayern Munich hiring Guardiola, Manchester City hiring Manuel Pellegrini, Chelsea has Mourinho back, and Real Madrid hiring Carlo Ancelotti. The competition has improved and Barça, along with their fans, will discover whether they have the right man to lead them.  Thu, is Tito still the man to lead this club? Hopefully Tito learned from his first season in charge.  If not, then Barça face the risk of playing catch up by searching for a new manager and wasting away the talents of Messi and company.

Fix Camp Nou or Build a new one?

To build or renovate? That is the question that Barça president Sandro Rosell brought up last month in the General Assembly was the suggestion of building a new stadium. This sparked a great debate about what should Barça do regarding their home. Should they renovate the Camp Nou or time to build a new stadium?

Last month, the club presented a proposition to the members about the status of the Camp Nou.  Javier Faus, the vice-president of the Economic and Strategic Area of the Club proposed two options regarding the home of Barça; Renovate the Camp Nou or build a new one. The first option would cost close to 300 million euros, and the second option wouldn’t surpass 600 million euros. He also assured that if a new stadium was built, it would not be built outside of the Barcelona city limits. Ultimately, 89% of the socios approved on having a referendum about this topic.

This topic struck a nerve with many passionate Blaugrana fans. Many, including myself, were not in favor of seeing Barça play at a new stadium, but to stay at the Camp Nou and just go ahead and renovate the stadium where it is needed. Others though believe it’s time for a new stadium.

The argument for the new stadium wasn’t just an argument about a new playing surface but it was also more of a sign that the club needs to step forward and become more modern like other teams. A new stadium would mean more VIP seats – reminds me of the Sky Box seats arguments US franchises used to build new arenas/stadiums – and could also generate more income by selling the naming rights of the stadium.  Bottom line, the new stadium would mean a step in a direction of the club becoming more of a professional organization and not just a club.

However, there are many, including myself, who believe that Barça’s only home should be the Camp Nou.  The Poll on the Miami Penya website saw 5 out of 20 in favor of building a new stadium. Most of the responses I got from fellow fans were that the club should stay in the Camp Nou. Why? The stadium is magical with such a vast history. This is stadium that has seen the likes of Kubala, Luis Suarez, Cruyff, Krankl, Simonsen, Maradona, Lineker, Stoichkhov, Laudrup, Romario, Koeman, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Guardiola, Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and the current crop of amazing talent such as Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi call home. We have also witnessed great games at this pitch with the likes of a few 5-0 wins against Real Madrid, the magical comeback of Barça against Atletico Madrid in 1996-1997 Copa Del Rey encounter, numerous Champions League victories, and many great celebrations.

I think part of the reason why some of the fans said don’t build a new one is because they have yet to experience a match at the magical stadium, including myself.  For those who have been to the Camp Nou on numerous occasions, perhaps the magic aura of the Camp Nou has rubbed off and it is just another stadium to them. So is that selfishness on our part not to have a new stadium built? Probably yes. However, I also have a tough time believing a new stadium is really needed. The current Camp Nou holds 99,000 seats and supposedly the new stadium will have 10,000 additional seats and of course, the ever so important VIP seats. However, the club only averages close to 75,000 fans in attendance so what guarantee is there that the new stadium will have more fans? Will there be more amenities?

If the club is averaging close to 75,000 fans to see one of a kind amazing talent such as Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and company, then I shudder to think what will happen in the new stadium when most of these players will be done with football and working on their golf games or working on their coaching badges.

The Camp Nou is not only the home of the football team, but it also contains the club’s offices, the Botiga – Official Barça shop, and the FC Barcelona Museu, the club’s museum. In the end, money talks, especially under this president who wants to make the club more fiscally responsible. However, I don’t know if spending 600 million euros for a new stadium is the right approach. The New York Yankees decided to leave their own Camp Nou and built a new Yankees stadium and some would say that the move has not been as successful with overpriced seats, empty seats, and a lackluster fan atmosphere that no longer intimidates opposing teams.

In my opinion, you can’t replace a landmark. VIP boxes area a great idea and great source of income but with the current state of the Spanish economy is going, what guarantee is there that those seats will be sold off to corporations since they are the ones who usually buy those types of seats and US teams suffered during the poor economy because companies couldn’t afford those tickets. Also, if the club is not selling out every match now with this great team, then what guarantee that a new stadium with 10,000 additional seats will have a higher attendance? By the time this stadium is built, the great era of this team might be over so fans won’t be paying to watch the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, and perhaps even Messi. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. However, if minor repairs are needed, then renovate.

In the end, the fans will have the final say on what should happen. Part of me wants to have the club remain at the holy grounds of the Camp Nou and part of me thinks that the club should always be proactive and reactive to change such as modern facilities and modern approaches in how a club should be run. So if you’re still waffling on when to go to the Camp Nou, you might want to do it sooner than later because it seems that the Camp Nou days are coming to an end.

 

Is Cesc really worth it for Barça?

Barça code means Abidal will be third choice.

Qué Pasa Barça? – Time to Adjust, not panic!

Greetings fellow Barça fans and hope you all were able to put the club’s latest loss behind you and not let it stress you out just as I have. I want to first thank FC Barcelona Supporters Club Miami-Penya Barcelonista de Miami for allowing me to do this and look forward on doing more in the future. My name is Ibrahim Ayyub and I have been a Barça fan since 1994, when I was teenager in Lebanon, and have been following them ever since. Big reason was thanks to the 1994 World Cup where I fell in love with Romario and Stoichkov and then discovered they were teammates at FC Barcelona thanks to the World Cup Panini sticker album for allowing me to discover this bit of information.

Growing up in a war country pre-internet era made it tough to follow football and back then, I only cared for international football and only cared for, and still do, follow the Dutch national team, yet I couldn’t believe it that Romario, Stoichkov and Koeman were all on the same team. Back then, I had just missed out on the glory years of the Dream Team but these years of following Barcelona have rewarded me with great football, great players and great experience of being with the club when things are great and when things are disastrous.

From Lebanon to America, I still have been following Barça and the icing on the cake for me was this past summer when I went to Chicago to see my first FC Barcelona game against Chivas and then went to the team hotel and was fortunate to meet Dani Alves, Iniesta, coach Guardiola and club president, Joan Laporta. That day ranks up there with my wedding and graduation from law school.

Just in case you were wondering who is my all time favorite player, then that honor goes to Luis Enrique, who displayed great passion and leadership that I think is at times missing from this current club.

This season was supposed to be a season of change and adjustments. Gone was the era of Frank Rijkaard and a new era of Josep Guardiola was ushered in. Many thought the move was a bit risky since Guardiola had only one years’ worth of experience and that was with the Barça Atletic / Barça B team in the lower divisions. I actually welcomed having Pep as the coach and actually wanted him to replace Rijkaard before the Champions League encounter against Manchester United.Pep is a legend of the club and is a true Culé, so he know what the expectations were and what the club’s history and legacy is all about. Sadly the team started off slow and everyone was criticizing him.

However, the results started going his away and soon enough the club was off to one of the greatest starts in the club’s history. Come late December, they had defeated Real Madrid at home and had a 12 point lead, were comfortable in their Champions League pursuit and managed to stay alive in Copa Del Rey. Unfortunately, that 12 point lead has now shrunk to four points and questions and tempers have flared about what has happened to the club.

What happened to this club is that they are human. These guys have played more games than their direct rival Real Madrid and fatigue and wear and tear is starting to set in. That’s the cost of trying to win cups. Barcelona are still in the hunt for a treble while Real Madrid crashed out of Copa Del Rey back in October and might crash out of the Champions League next week. Barcelona players were bound to get tired and it seems that’s just the case.

The defense in the new year has allowed 14 goals already following that gut wrenching loss to Atletico Madrid that I was fortunate not to have seen. The offense has been a bit stagnant, midfield not providing service, and the keeper Valdes starting to resort to his old shaky self. They have been playing twice a week for a while now because of International friendlies along with Copa Del Rey and Champions League games. Injuries have forced some players to play more than usual and thus, fatigue is a becoming a big cause of concern. Rotations cannot be implemented when players are hurt and because of that, players are playing more than they should with less time to rest and recover.

The bottom line though is that should not be an excuse. To win titles, these are things a club must be ready to face and endure and the club captains should show the leadership to not allow the players to relax. Inter Milan and Manchester United are in the same situation and they still are hanging in there. I believe the lack of leadership is why this club has thrown away points. Some would say it’s injuries; some would say it’s players creating distractions by what they say through the media – Eto’o and Yaya’s agent’s comments to the media; or some would say it’s because of Victor Valdes, and I would like to throw in the curse of Kobe Bryant declaring he is a Barça fan thanks to that ESPN Magazine cover back in January. It’s not that farfetched when you look back at what happened in 06-07 season. He declared back then that he was a fan too during the California visit of the club’s USA preseason summer tour and then look at what happened next. Bad Karma repeating itself again?

Seriously, the club’s leaders need to make the players focus and not lose track of what is important.

Now is not the time to talk about contracts but time to think of the next game. All Pep should do is play last season’s 4-1 loss to Real Madrid to wake them up. Just the part where they welcome the Madrid players alone should let their blood boil. My life motto is “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” This club started well but that means nothing if you blow it in the end.

Pep has a big task ahead of him and must adjust and not panic. I still have faith in him and think he tries his best to accommodate and appease everyone. Coaching is not just about tactics, but also about managing egos and keeping spirits up. Basically he is a manager, a father and a psychiatrist. He can get the job done but the players have to step it up. Eto’o, Xavi and Valdes need to play better. The defense needs to stop playing sloppy and the midfield needs to provide better service. Eto’o and Henry have eight and seven goals in this new year, with Henry scoring in six games while Eto’o has only scored in five games in this new year. Too many goals have been conceded from dead ball situations.


Time for now is to adjust and not panic. Maybe Pep needs to be a bit more considerate of protecting a lead and not expanding one. If you’re winning 2-0 or 3-0, then slow it down and control the game and be more counter attacking than continuing to look for more goals. I am not saying to become negative football and depart from the club’s beautiful football, just be smart in when to play beautiful and when to sit back and then go for the kill. Protect the lead with two defensive midfielders. Adjustments and not panic means maybe playing Pedro on the wing and giving Eto’o a breather and let Henry or Bojan start as the center forward. Now would be a good time to let Caceres play in place of the injured Abidal and not over use Puyol as a fullback. Maybe it also means time to bench Valdes for Pinto.

A long time ago, I defended Rijkaard’s decision in playing Valdes over the Turkish keeper Rustu. He was young and smart and benching him would only ruin his confidence and he repaid that opportunity by leading this club to two league titles and a Champions League trophy in that magical night in Paris. However, it now seems that no matter what, Valdes will never stop looking shaky. Four consecutive shaky performances where he has let down the team with his decisions have cost the club. He is 27 now and just don’t see him ever letting go of his cartoon Johnny Bravo image; the image of he looks good but is oblivious to what’s going on. Valdes is a good goal keeper but there are times where you just wonder what was he thinking. Pinto has been playing in Copa Del Rey games which are never short of pressure, experience in the Champions League with Celta Vigo and is a past winner of the Zamora for those who want the argument that Valdes is a past Zamora winner and should start this weekend in my opinion and go the rest of the way. By the way, Casillias just won his first Zamora award last season and don’t tell me he wasn’t the best until he won that award.

The fans need to support the players too and not jeer them when the going gets tough too. Jeering Valdes is not going to help his confidence at all. Mallorca semi-final leg away this Wednesday will be vital indeed and then have to get ready for Athletic de Bilbao at home this weekend. Good news for us fans is that these two games a week will be getting less. Advancing to the Copa final or being eliminated will mean more rest for the players and of course we all want them to advance. Additional good news is that Iniesta will be back soon too.

Finally, I would like to address one thing before I sign off. FC Barcelona updated their official site not too long ago and one of the new features that they added was a legends section. I think that was something that the old site lacked and was great to see this feature added. However, when looking through the listed names of the players, I could not get over the fact that there was a one glaring omission. José Mari Bakero.

The club has updated that page since its introduction but Bakero’s name still is not there. This man was a member of the “Dream Team” and won 13 titles in his time as a member of the blaugrana. His last second header goal against Kaiserslautern helped save the club from elimination through away goals rule in the Champions League (back then was the Champion’s Cup) which they would go on to win that year. Hopefully the club will add his name to that list soon and if anyone knows those in charge of that section, please mention it to them.

Well I hope you enjoyed this and please stay positive and remember that the season is not won or lost in February, but in May. Until next time, keep the faith Barcelona fans and don’t give up.

Visca Barça!