When Josep Maria Bertomeu left Barcelona, the club was on the verge of collapse, the debt was enormous, the players were overpaid, the referees were bribed (not proved yet) and then came Joan Laporta. Everything was looking good until this season. In the long run, last season’s title with Xavi could easily be the best thing that ever happened to Real Madrid. The title ‘deceived’ the club, convinced them that they were moving in the right direction, during the period when they had to make a radical turn. Six months later, Barcelona are 10 points behind Real and what’s much, much worse: it’s not even that bad considering how the team is playing. Because the impression is that Barcelona is not progressing. The impression is that Barcelona is running towards the abyss.Yamal double rescues ragged Barca draw against GranadaThe fear of a fatal fall became omnipresent. So, after the draw with Granada, President Laporta had a good argument with the disgruntled fans – they even say that he threw canapés at them?! – while sports director Deco and coaches Xavi were “fighting” through the media. Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but it seems that Barca have reached that situation that is often described as an elephant in a china shop. Everyone sees that there is a problem. Only no one can say anything. Because tradition, club culture, the legacy of Johan Cruyff, the memory of Ronaldinho’s acrobatics, and Messi’s years of supremacy prevent the proverbially enraged fan public from taking a sober look at the circumstances. And realize that this leads to nothing.Failed tax evasion! Barcelona will have to pay $24.8 million for agent fees between 2012 and 2015Deco obviously understood, although he can only say it in his native Portugal, so today his interview for the weekly Nasser do Sol resonates in Spain.”It is of fundamental importance that we take a new direction. The president agrees with that. A fundamental change is necessary. This model is exhausted”, said Deco, very pessimistically, especially when we consider that he is saying all this while looking for Xavi’s successor.A message to Xavi’s successor: ‘There won’t be any big signings’But Deco does not want to mince things. On the contrary…”We need to find someone who wants to break with the past once and for all and turn to new patterns… We have a very serious financial problem and that’s the reason they hired me. We don’t have money for investments like other millionaire clubs and that discourages every coach. At this moment we cannot provide those funds” he admitted.Deco surprised by Xavi’s decision: We did not ask him for the title but to be competitiveDeco spoke very honestly about all the problems, so he talks very briefly about the names of potential saviors. For example, when he was asked about the possibility of Barca bringing Ruben Amorim, who is doing an excellent job at Sporting Lisbon, they also got an honest answer.”All options are on the table. Maybe a Portuguese, but which one? How many are ready to take on Barcelona, with all its weight and the responsibility that comes with it? And with all these problems. I know that Ruben Amorim is doing a great job, that he plays similar to Barcelona, but I also know that he has very little experience,” said Deco.##NAJAVA_MECA_7863325##And maybe Barca’s model really isn’t the problem – after all, who are we to dispute it? – but there’s absolutely no doubt that at least it’s not working right now. It was easy to force an ultra-offensive style of play when you had the money to pay Messi a gross contract of 100,000,000 euros per year or when he had Xavi or Anders Iniesta behind his back. It’s difficult now that 16-year-old Yamal is carrying all of Barca’s burden on his back, and the club is pushing another minor, Pau Cubarsi, to be the starting center-back. Barca simply owes too much, and he has to rush to introduce new kids. And that has its price, and it pays with goals in the net. In the championship last season, Barcelona conceded 20 goals in 38 league rounds. 33 goals in 24 games this season. And the problems seem to be piling up. In the calendar year 2024 alone, Barcelona conceded 23 goals in 11 games in all competitions. Believe it or not, more than any other club in Europe’s top five leagues since January 1st.”Defensive mistakes are killing us”, Xavi himself admitted after the draw with Granada. He had no choice. Last night, Barca conceded three goals from the club that gave so much in the first 40 days of 2024. But Barcelona is not playing defense this year. Last season it somehow worked with Gavi and Sergio Busquets in front of the last line… This season not at all.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 24FridayCadiz – Real Betis 0-2 (0-1)/Willian Jose 6, Fornals 46/SaturdayAlaves – Villarreal 1-1 (1-1)/Omorodion 25 – Cuenca 42/Real Sociedad – Osasuna 0-1 (0-0)/Budimir 49/Real Madrid – Girona 4-0 (2-0)/Vini 6, Bellingham 35, 54, Rodrygo 61/Las Palmas – Valencia 2-0 (0-0)/Alex Suarez 89, Cardona 90+5/SundayGetafe – Celta 3-2 (2-0)/Mayoral 41, Mata 45+2, 89 – Larsen 71, Allende 85/Mallorca – Rayo Vallecano 2-1 (0-0)/Sanchez 48, Muriqi 90+1 – Garcia 76/Sevilla – Atl. Madrid 1-0 (1-0)/Romero 15/Barcelona – Granada 3-3 (1-1)/Yamal 14, 80, Lewandowski 63 – Sanchez 43, Pellistri 60, Miquel 66/Monday21:00: (4.90) Almeria (3.60) Ath.Bilbao (1.75)***odds are subject to change***
