By Issam Raad | Staff Writer
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Barcelona play football the way we’re used to. Barça
struggled over the past few years, witnessing the departure of many stars. This constant change
has caused the Spanish giants to lose their magic touch with the ball and the specialized game
tactic they used to exhibit to the world, called Tiki-Taka. The artists who used to stage this show
were legends such as Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Pedro, David Villa, Eric
Abidal, Dani Alves, and Lionel Messi. Other teammates still in the squad such as Sergio
Busquets and Jordi Alba, with Gerard Piqué having recently retired, were part of the
performance that came at best in Pep Guardiola’s era when the team was mostly in harmony.
Ever since the Spanish coach left the club, Barça started losing some of its luster. In
addition to the aforementioned individuals, other great players such as Luis Suarez, Neymar,
Ivan Rakitic, and Javier Mascherano have managed to temporarily prevent the team from falling
apart over time. But during the past two years, because of financial and managerial issues, the
squad collapsed. However, nearly two years ago, the club appointed one of its legends, Xavi
Hernandez, as their new team manager to revive the club and restore its place among the best
teams in the world. Xavi, hoping to resurrect Tiki-Taka and the golden era, struggled in the
Champions League with Barcelona finishing third in their group and dropping to Europa League
for two consecutive years. On the other hand, Xavi has impressed in La Liga, finishing second
last season and sitting first this season with only six goals conceded. This took time and patience
as aging players and failed transfers were phased out slowly while new players that fit Xavi’s
style were being introduced. The club had previously signed expensive players who failed to
perform, like Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho, but I believe that if they had been
managed properly from the beginning of their journey at the club, the scenario would have been
different, especially for the Brazilian magician, Coutinho. Nevertheless, Xavi put his trust in the
youth, among which two new gems concretized their place in the weekly squad: Pedro González
López and Pablo Martín Páez Gavira. The former, known as Pedri, is a 20-year-old midfielder
seen as the new Iniesta and bears his famous number 8, whereas the latter is known as Gavi, an
18-year-old midfielder who recently won the Golden Boy award. In addition, the Spanish winger
Ansu Fati is another young talent who is seen as the next big thing at the club as he was awarded
Messi’s famous number 10 shirt. Furthermore, talents such as Frenkie De Jong, Ousmane
Dembélé, Jules Koundé, Ronald Araújo, and Alejandro Balde are also considered the future of
the club. Together with other teammates led by Sergio Busquets, a legend and maestro who still
captains the club, Barça’s DNA was resurrected. At the Spanish Super Cup final, Barça
overcame their rivals Real Madrid in style, putting on a theatrical display of Tiki-Taka across the
field, from Ter Stegen’s goalkeeping to Lewandowski’s sniping up front, reminding both the fans
and the world of the good old times.
Recent rumors claim that Barcelona is considering a swoop for Ruben Neves to be the
team’s new anchor after the current captain leaves at the end of the year, while also keeping an
eye on other options such as Marcelo Brozović and N’Golo Kanté. Barça’s board is wondering
whether De Jong can be the man to play in the captain’s position, but I believe that the Dutchman
is better at CM than at CDM because he has an attacking flair that can be harnessed. The board is
also looking for candidates for the right-back position, which hasn’t been properly filled since
the departure of Dani Alves. Nevertheless, the current squad is a skillful mix of decent
performers and it would be great to witness the arrival of new talents who have Barça’s DNA to
allow Tiki-Taka to soar again.