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For the first time in twenty seasons, FC Barcelona has failed to make it beyond the
Champions League group stage. During the last two decades, the Spanish giants reached
and won the final on four occasions, along with making it through to the last eight on all
but four occasions. Amongst the supporters of this hugely popular club, this continental
collapse is considered to be a disaster of epic proportions.
More than just a new manager needed
By and large, fans of Barcelona got exactly what they wanted when Ronald Koeman
was fired towards the end of October. The Dutchman had never truly endeared himself
to supporters, despite always being completely frank and honest in his media
appearances. Perhaps they didn’t want to acknowledge the home truths he underlined,
such as having inherited a much weaker team, which was inevitably diminished even
further when Lionel Messi departed.
Barça B coach Sergi Barjuán took temporary charge as the hunt for a new head coach
began. Although various managerial options were apparently considered, they were
little more than contingency plans, given that club supremo Joan Laporta only had one
man in mind for the job. On Saturday 6th November, the official
FC Barcelona website
announced the appointment of Xavi Hernández, who penned a contract at the club until
the end of the 2023-24 season.
Undoubtedly the most popular choice amongst fans, Xavi was welcomed back to the
club with the zeal of a returning messiah, expected to produce miracles and maybe even
spark an epiphany amongst his players. Perhaps they were better than the results had
suggested? Maybe he could restore the confidence and enthusiasm that had been sorely
lacking? Unfortunately, the reality for Barcelona is that more than just a savior in the
dugout is needed.
Different head coach, same disappointing results
There is no escaping the facts. Compared to the magnificent squads Barcelona has
boasted over the last two decades, the current group of players is lightyears away from
being at anywhere near the same level. This is the result of economic mismanagement
by previous club presidents, poor and ineffectual transfer policy, seemingly without any
rhyme or reason other than spending big. In truth, the squad that Xavi has inherited
needs completely rebuilding.
Any notions that he would instantly produce a miraculous turnaround in form, well,
they have quickly disappeared like a puff of smoke. Xavi made hist managerial debut at
Barça to the tune of a 3-3 draw at Celta Vigo, as his team squandered a three-goal lead.
The 1-0 derby victory against Espanyol came thanks to a highly dubious penalty, while
the 0-0 draw against Benfica in the Champions League highlighted a side lacking in
ideas.
Villarreal was beaten 1-3, although the result was far from convincing and Xavi
admitted his team had been lucky. “This is what it is” headlined
Catalan outlet Sport,
when Barcelona was beaten 0-1 at the Camp Nou in their following LaLiga match,
referring back to a quote from Xavi’s predecessor Koeman, when he bemoaned the lack
of quality in his team. Losing 3-0 against Bayern Munich simply underlined the point,
as Barça dropped exited the Champions League with barely a whimper.
How oddsmakers rate this Barcelona side
Given how quickly Barcelona have slumped and more so following Messi’s departure,
it has become increasingly clear that nothing short of a rebuild is required. This is a
team no longer blessed with a certain Argentine maestro to mask their deficiencies,
which is the core of the challenge facing Xavi over the coming months.
Challenging for LaLiga appears to be a lost cause according to bookmakers, who even
believe they will struggle to finish in the top four. However, if Xavi does manage to
mastermind a miraculous turnaround, it could make Barça an interesting to consider for
certain betting markets.
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Arabian Betting guide reviews and compares all the leading online bookmakers, rating
each for their overall quality of service, plus the competitiveness of odds and offers
available. They highlight safety and security as being the paramount consideration,
which is also something Xavi will be looking for as he aims to lay solid foundations at
Barcelona.
After the fall comes the restoration of pride
Clear that Barcelona has fallen on hard times, Xavi should at least be capable of pushing
this team into the top four in LaLiga, while aiming to win the Copa del Rey would also
seem a logical objective. Restoring some level of pride will only come with silverware
in the trophy cabinet, which means that now Barça is out of the Champions League,
aiming to win the Europa League shouldn’t be dismissed. Any trophy success can be
seen as the platform on which to build for the future, which is the principal task at hand
for Xavi.