La Liga 23/24

A season of seasons for Barca. To come within a whisker of a CL Final too and a domestic treble with all they had going on: registration/financial issues; youth players used primarily as the focal point; quite a few long term injuries; Tebas being a non-stop *; Real harassing referees with videos about them.

One of the long term injuries Bernal was yet another midfield prodigy and Barca's best player at the very start of the season. Hoping he comes back with the same promise as he looked fantastic. Yamal, Pedri and Cubarsi phenomenal, Raph revitalised, Inigo solid, Szczesny unbelievable out of retirement, Balde much, much better this season, Kounde played about 100 games in a row. The list goes on. EDIT - Lewandowski with 40 odd goals at 36-37 years old went under the radar.

Hansi Flick take a * bow. Identity restored and all this away from Camp Nou. This team with more experience in the biggest stadium in Europe will be a sight to behold in seasons to come. Visca Barca!

 

Wait until he turns…18

 

Marcus Rashford to Barça on a low risk loan, confirmed - traveling for preseason tour

• €0M loan fee
• €5M net annual wages
• €35M non obligatory purchase option

 

Barca vs Villareal La Liga match been given the go ahead to be played in Miami... * mockery of fitba that is. NFL at wembley smell to it.

 

Indeed, I’m hoping players union forces a reversal like the previous attempt to export a league match to US for money or strike

it’s an adulteration of the league and massive disrespect to the fans that helped build it

 

And as expected, players union are against

 

What’s your support like with the way the club is run these days? Feel like in a decade or so Barca have went from the most admirable to one of the worst examples of what I hate about modern football. I can almost pinpoint when it started to shift, when Unicef was put as a sponsor, which was easing the support into being more a corporate entity than the cultural icon it felt like before.

Not a dig that btw, should hear me about Celtic these days

 

I see it differently, perhaps more nuanced as I am closer to the situation and have been through many different boards. Important always to put discussions on the club in the proper context - you’ve probably heard of Nunistas vs Cruyffists or simply the entorno of a member owned club. Like with anything, there is a conservative base of club members which are often the elder members as well as an expanding youth base that varies from traditional to quite liberal if not kneejerk.

Barça’s situation as a club from the lense of organizational and sporting perspectives - the club is run by the board and that covers tools for sporting side as well as managing finances. Laporta is now in his 2nd term is the President who also led club during the club’s peak in terms of footballing impact on/off the pitch - Joan was integral. Pep, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi et al never happen without Joan. His impact to club past & current cannot be understated yet even within the club it divides with some supportive of his efforts and those who support the club but back a different candidate that proceed to undermine or be critical of Laporta. That is magnified by two famous local sporting newspapers dedicated to FC Barcelona alone, many radio stations to say nothing of RM papers & radio/tv programs and now influencers etc. - this represents in small part the infamous entorno that eventually wears everyone out (Not least of whom, Pep & Lucho)

The UNICEF initiative, I was a big fan of and if you subscribe to the club ethos as a purist which I see Laporta as (and Cruyffist of course) then its in line with his approach to leading the club - in an era of corporate greed, he’s like a circus style attorney who is passionate about the club. Most importantly, he is tireless in his efforts to elevate the club on/off the pitch as much as humanly possible. I think he takes responsibility for his decisions but always has club’s best interests in mind and in 4 years, he has done the impossible IMHO - they are trembling in the capital, this Barça will define an era in football again

The La Masia focused Barça also doesn’t thrive without a President like Laporta either. Yes, he inherited a situation from the start that required youth depth but this is a tenet of Cruyff philosophy that Joan is a disciple of - foundation must be the cantera. And to be a cule is to perhaps love that part more than the rest, I know I do. Tracking the youth players is a big part of being a club supporter and seeing the senior side thrive with so many from Masia may surpass even Pep’s era IMHO

To start his 2nd term of President of the club, he inherited a club near bankruptcy by previous board (Bartomeu, of Bartomeu/Rosell fame). Is the inept version of Barça under Bartomeu that forced palancas and dealing left & right to meet ever changing rules of Spanish FFP the Barça of norm or simply the near destructive end to it? The club is run well now and is run as a member backed club which pleases me greatly - its the sole example of democracy in action that is working, winning and evoking joy.

This Barça has literally risen from the ashes, on & off the pitch with a new stadium near re-opening. They are hitting on all cylinders organizationally, financially and sporting wise. It’s a new era led by a superstar who is unmatched atm - Lamine Yamal. It’s literally unicorns & rainbows, the best game on television for me

And I have to say Laporta should take a bow, he takes the hits from the entorno & the media but he continues to move the club forward. I’m quite proud of that but more so because he was possible only as a result of socios voting to start a petition to oust Bartomeu in the first place else 4 years ago this club would’ve turned into a corporation.

The censure motion forced him to resign and call forward elections, local supporters of member faction anti-Laporta tried with so many incredibly authoritarian measures to prevent his re-election and now continue to be critical of any delay to construction, validation by Liga for registrations due to FFP accounting disputes. This is a constant battle that a Barça board face and he seems to do it with a zeal that frankly is commendable - Laporta supporters of club are giddy over his passion, myself included

THAT is part & parcel of being a cule, the politics impacting the club before even addressing the refereeing oversight bias in the country…unfortunately. You have to weather the challenges that are even coming from within due to fickle fan base but this too is life really

The money part is a reality of modern football and that’s not really Barça to blame but FIFA & UEFA who seek to exploit a product at expense of sporting, resource & organizational limitations. They are a popular draw so natural they reap the biggest rewards, I just hope it is better managed than under Bartomeu - which it seems to be. Sporting wise, they inspire a new generation of footballers as well as the current professionals. There’s simply no denying that part and sure it is a source of pride to see them play well and evoke joy from neutrals as well, that’s the Barça I fell for from the beginning

Frankly in a * moment in human history, this is a great story to follow

 

I always think that the Laporta-Bartomeu-Laporta change is one of the best examples of club ownership/president/voting there is in modern times, along with being obviously media worthy to the masses.

It absolutely shows what the raw passion and pride in a club can do, but equally what a business/greedy president can do that isn't as focused on the football as the previous. To be able to vote to change that course of action is nothing short of jealousy from a current Celtic perspective as well.
Oh how we would love for a day we could vote off the current board in favour of folk willing to put the sporting pride and foundations first, knowing that the success will come and in time both on field performances and off field results will improve in tandum.

 

Absolutely and success today doesn’t guarantee it tomorrow. The next board if Laporta moves on? Perhaps they go typical corporate greed and sink the club again, democracy may not be able to save it then - I hope socios continue to actively ensure club is well run and act quicker than last time

But its a great story about democracy in action working for football fans, its rare