
<p>Barcelona president Joan Laporta has backtracked on his stance on the European Super League.&nbsp;&nbsp;Twelve of the bigger soccer clubs around the continent attempted to create their own league a year ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;The move, however, failed miserably as fans protested the proposal.</p>



<p>Laporta has now claimed that these massive teams would get bored playing each other so much.&nbsp;&nbsp;“If the big teams were to play each other all the time, we’d all get tired of it,”&nbsp;<a href="https://en.as.com/soccer/joan-laporta-if-the-big-clubs-always-played-each-other-wed-all-get-tired-n/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stated</a>&nbsp;Laporta.</p>



<p>“It’s special and healthy for the game when a smaller club beats a big one.&nbsp;&nbsp;And it’s fun to get behind an underdog.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was great when Greece won the Euros and it was really special when Leicester won the league in England.&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s what football is all about.”</p>



<p>The comments come at a time when his Real Madrid counterpart, Florentino Perez, has reiterated his desires for a Super League.&nbsp;&nbsp;Perez said that he is waiting for a decision in the courts on whether or not UEFA overstepped the law in blocking a potential new league.&nbsp;&nbsp;A ruling on the issue is expected in December.</p>



<p>Laporta has, however, claimed that a Super League could coexist with traditional leagues.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The Super League would have to work alongside domestic leagues,” Laporta said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“That’s vitally important.&nbsp;&nbsp;I really believe in domestic leagues and, in my opinion, it would be a mistake for a Super League to replace them.”</p>



<p>The Barca president essentially wants to make the Super League the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/podcasts/champions-league-reforms-evolve-it-into-a-european-super-league/">new Champions League</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, fans would still most likely not get behind a tournament that basically consists of the same teams every season.&nbsp;&nbsp;And it remains to be seen how UEFA would react to the scheme.</p>



<p>Tweaks to the top European competition have been discussed plenty of times before.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nevertheless, UEFA has plans to expand the number of teams in the tournament to 36.&nbsp;&nbsp;This would essentially add an additional group to the competition.</p>


Barcelona President Joan Laporta wants The European Super League to replace the UEFA Champions League, which will be more exciting.

Joan Laporta wants Super League to replace Champions League - World Soccer Talk

Joan Laporta wants Super League to replace Champions League

destacadas

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<p>Barcelona’s rebuild of its squad is well and truly up and running. Favorite son Xavi closed the previous season fairly well as head coach. Now, he brings in several new arrivals to put an end to the supporters’ suffering.</p>
<p>However, despite the glitz and glamor of new signings, questions remain over the plausibility of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/07/16/financial-dilemma-influences-barcelona-summer-spending/">Barcelona’s transfer spending</a>. As of now, Barcelona remains billions in debt. Plus, rumors of differed wages lead to conspiracy theories about the financial dealings of the club. Many fans feel that something dodgy must be going on behind the scenes.</p>
<p>In fact, stories of the club nearing bankruptcy hit the social media circuit. Recent reports of a decrease of over $500 million in yearly revenue do no favors to the skyrocketing debt crisis.</p>
<p>However, not all is as it seems in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a>. These tragic tales of doom and gloom may be pretty far from the mark. Simultaneously, Barcelona readies itself for a resurgence with increased transfer spending.</p>
<h5>A much-needed resurgence</h5>
<p>Yes, on field success has been pretty scarce in recent years. The downturn in revenue, combined with questionable transfer decisions, left the club on shaky ground. LaLiga rules stipulate that clubs can only spend a certain amount of money on players. This figure comes from a club’s current revenue and outgoings. For Barcelona, the club sits at -$150 million. Therefore, the Catalan cannot register any new players until this figure returns to positive figures.</p>
<p>The only way to do that is to create more revenue.</p>
<p>Granted, this seems like an insurmountable mountain. Remember, Barcelona is one of the juggernauts of world soccer. Despite its financial struggles, this is a wildly easier task than it is for other clubs. In fact, it is comparatively pocket change in the grand scheme of things.</p>
<p>So, here are the basics of how Barcelona rebuilds its squad.</p>
<h3>Barcelona working to rebuild its squad</h3>
<p>Firstly, Barcelona restructured its debt. Short-term liabilities became long-term. This provides stability for the club to find its footing. The general connotation of debt is negative. However, when managed properly, it can turn into a positive. Changing the length of the loan reduces monthly repayments. Consequently, the banks will not foreclose and call in the full amount of those debts any time soon.</p>
<p>Secondly, Barcelona wants to reduce its current wage bill. Fortunately, many players took significant pay cuts, often reaching the maximum allowed in LaLiga at 50% of the previous salary. Reason being, many players do not want to leave the club. Frenkie de Jong is the standout case. The Dutchman does not want to leave the club, but does not want to take a pay cut, either. Barcelona likely wants his wages out of the club, and the player is merely collateral for that.</p>
<p>Lastly, and most importantly, is the sale of business assets. When people talk about assets in terms of football clubs they usually think of the players themselves. Yet, a club the size of Barcelona has more to offer the business world than the talent of it’s playing staff. For one, the club <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/barcelona-sixth-street-tv-rights/PBONoC5Nn8yl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sold off 10% of all TV revenue</a> for the next 25 years for over $250 million. Straight away, this wipes out the -$150 million La Liga stipulated as their squad buying power.</p>
<p>But, the sales do not end there. Currently, club president Joan Laporta is negotiating other business deals to put the club back at the high end of football transfer market. Another 15% of future Barcelona TV deals is up for sale for a reported $330 million. Meanwhile, 49% of the clubs merchandising is going for another $200 million.</p>
<p>This might not be the reading that many Barcelona haters want to see and selling off future earnings may be something of a risk. However, in the short term, these moves more than allow Barcelona the room they need to sign who ever they feel they need this summer and should see them on a more secure financial footing for the next few years.</p>
<p><em>PHOTO: Joan Gosa/Xinhua via Getty Images</em></p>


The Barcelona rebuild is practically all financial. A pit of debt seems insurmountable but is on the right track with trophies in mind.

Barcelona walking a financial tightrope to rebuild the squad - World Soccer Talk

Barcelona walking a financial tightrope to rebuild the squad

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<p>Barcelona’s summer spending is questionable. That also applies to the fiasco from a season ago when Lionel Messi departed. Simultaneously, it came out that <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a> sat over <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2021/08/18/barcelonas-1-5-billion-debt-how-a-mega-club-fell-into-a-financial-black-hole-and-lost-its-star/">a billion dollars in debt</a>.</p>
<p>To be fair, it is always a challenge to juggle team building while constructing a competitive roster. Executives and coaches must bet on the present success, while also preparing for the future evolution of the side.</p>
<p>Frankly put, Barcelona does neither of these. The club’s brightest players, Pedri, Ansu Fati and Gavi, are homegrown talents. The club’s acquisitions can be good. Andreas Christensen fits a defensive need while Raphinha brings some depth and flair up top. Franck Kessié is a defensive midfielder that could step in for the potential departure of Frenkie de Jong.</p>
<p>Barcelona’s summer spending falls short of the rivals it battles frequently in European competition. Additionally, Real Madrid has answers for both the present and future across the pitch.</p>
<p>The Catalan club wants to hang around with the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool or Bayern Munich. Yet, the financial crisis puts a stranglehold on the freedoms to acquire the great talents.</p>
<h5><strong>The Neymar Curse</strong></h5>
<p>Many of those struggles date back to Neymar’s shock transfer to Paris Saint-Germain five years ago. Ironically, the second-leading scorer in Brazil national team history arrived at Camp Nou as Lionel Messi’s eventual successor. That never happened.</p>
<p>Now, the two are in Paris after the Blaugrana failed to register the greatest player in the club’s history. All this, despite Lionel Messi agreeing to a massive pay cut to help the club.</p>
<p>This summer, many players agreed to take hefty pay cuts to help the team navigate its debut. For instance, Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Roberto, both at the club for extended time, lessened their wages.</p>
<p>However, one player is hesitant to cut his wages. Some believe Barcelona want to force him out to make registration room for Christensen, Kessié and Raphinha.</p>
<h5><strong>Frenkie’s Dilemma&nbsp; </strong></h5>
<p>The Telegraph reports Barcelona owes Frenkie de Jong $20 million in deferred wages and bonuses. Barcelona wants to offload the midfielder to a different club, with Manchester United being a potential suitor. According to reports, a transfer fee could be in the realm of $84 million, including add-ons. For Barcelona, a transfer of the Dutchman saves the club $42 million, according to Mundo Deportivo.</p>
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Barcelona director Mateu Alemany on de Jong deal: “Frenkie is a very important player and we count on him. But we know La Liga&apos;s Fair Play tells us to sell players”. 🚨🇳🇱 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCB</a></p>
<p>“I can’t say more [on Frenkie deal and Man Utd]”, Alemany added. <a href="https://t.co/UGKjwhAnbL">pic.twitter.com/UGKjwhAnbL</a></p>
<p>— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1547943461197795329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote></div>
<p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Club director Mateu Alemany alluded to the fact that Barcelona may have to sell de Jong. Reason being the financial fair play rules. However, club president Joan Laporta stated Frenkie de Jong is still part of the potential plans at Barcelona.</p>
<blockquote><p>“It is not true that the club is forced to sell Frenkie De Jong. His trip to the U.S. will be decided by Xavi,” Laporta said in a press conference.</p></blockquote>
<p>The club wants to sell de Jong to Manchester United for a package worth $84 million. Reports estimate that de Jong’s departure would save the club <a href="https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/frenkie-de-jong-transfer-latest-27484454">$42 million per year</a>.</p>
<p>For what it is worth, Frenkie de Jong does not want to leave Barcelona. He is the only thing holding back the deal between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Frenkie de Jong prefers the draw of the UEFA Champions League, something Manchester United is not in for next season. Manchester United does have a familiar face at the helm for Frenkie de Jong. Erik Ten Hag, the new manager at Old Trafford, coached de Jong during most of his time with the senior squad at Ajax.</p>
<p>De Jong is clearly a gifted playmaker who can carry the ball into dangerous positions. From there, progressive passes feed lackluster striking options.</p>
<p>However, Xavi looks set to stick with the young talents of Pedri and Gavi in the middle of the park. Plus, Nico Gonzalez and Franck Kessié seem lack natural replacements in the middle.</p>
<h5><strong>Market Deficiency </strong></h5>
<p>The 26-time LaLiga winners have more targets in the transfer window. For that to happen, other players must go. USMNT representative Sergiño Dest had rumors swirling. Yet, he stated publicly that he plans on staying.</p>
<p>Then, Barcelona targets Robert Lewandowski, who is still among the best strikers in the world. The 33-year-old, who turns 34 in August, reportedly told Bayern Munich that he wanted to leave. In a reverse situation to Frenkie de Jong, Bayern Munich refuses to sell him. Lewandowski remains in training with Bayern Munich, with the Bavarians desiring $50 million in a transfer fee. Barcelona submitted a new offer just ahead of the weekend.</p>
<p>César Azpilicueta is another player on the wish list. Another somewhat aging player who turns 33 next month, the defender can still provide a versatile role.</p>
<p>Despite the financial woes, Barcelona’s summer spending mirrors that of a win-now team seeking a league or Champions league trophy for the first time since 2019.</p>
<h5><strong>Cash Rules Everything Around Me</strong></h5>
<p>Barcelona’s financial issues required their famous stadium to be under a sponsorship for the first time in history. Officially, Camp Nou is under the moniker of Spotify Camp Nou. That same brand also appears on the men’s and women’s kits for the next four seasons.</p>
<p>Also, Barcelona sold 10% of its TV rights for the next 25 years to a U.S. firm, Sixth Street. La Liga’s salary limit for the club in the upcoming season is -$144 million. It’s like an NBA team paying a penalty in the luxury tax for going over the salary cap.</p>
<p>In the end, it seems de Jong will leave Barcelona because of the compounding financial issues. Barcelona needs to cut its budget at the same time its competitors stack up on talents.</p>
<p>Getting out of debt will take decades. Barcelona must do whatever it takes to remain an elite club. It’s a delicate balance that requires tough decisions being made.</p>
<p><em>PHOTO: Joan Valls/Urbanandsport /NurPhoto via Getty Images</em></p>


Barcelona's summer spending is not one of rebuilding, nor is it one of a win-now mentality. It is confusing because of financial issues.

Yet again, financial dilemma influences Barcelona's summer spending - World Soccer Talk

Yet again, financial dilemma influences Barcelona's summer spending

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<p>Lionel Messi’s move to Paris Saint Germain rocked the sports world. A sad, but necessary, move to try to reduce Barcelona’s dire situation of being $1.5 billion debt. Paris came to a standstill to welcome the Argentine. FC Barcelona did not have the winger as a first-team player for the first time in 16 years. LaLiga without the two biggest stars in the game.</p>
<p>Messi’s departure comes unexpectedly for seemingly everyone, including Barcelona management and the player himself. Lionel Messi returned to the club after his first major international success (winning the 2021 Copa América) ready to play. So ready to play that his pay would be slashed in half to free up finances for the club.</p>
<p>Yes, Messi would still make an estimated $85 million per year. If anything, it showed he was willing to work with the club to help them.</p>
<p>Newly elected Barcelona President Joan Laporta came in with two goals. The first one, to look good for fans, was to re-sign Messi. The Argentine’s contract expired at the end of the previous season, leaving him as a free agent. The second, more important goal, was to right Barcelona’s financial crisis.</p>
<p>FC Barcelona, among the biggest clubs in the world, sat billions of euros in debt. Despite a combined social media following of <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/2174175/barca-surpasses-400-million-followers-on-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400-million users</a> and the <a href="https://football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/mr/mr44/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third-highest average attendance</a> in European soccer, the club was in economic ruin.</p>
<p>To estimate, most bookies say the club sat at $1.5 billion in the hole. As recently as August 16, the debt climbed to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/08/16/laporta-says-barcelona-finances-dramatic-but-future-bright/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1.58 billion</a>, according to Laporta. Barcelona’s well-documented issues dominate headlines right now. Perhaps audiences enjoy watching the old guard fall. Or, on the flip side, fans enjoy seeing their comeback both on and off the field.</p>
<p>Regardless, these issues must be explained before they can be tackled and understood.</p>
<h3>Barcelona’s $1.5 billion debt in three pieces</h3>
<h5>1. Dodgy Transfers</h5>
<p>On face value, transfers are an easy way to spend or earn money, depending on value.</p>
<p>In Barcelona’s case, it’s an understatement to say they took risks in the transfer market when trying to acquire players. Some of this can be chalked up to simple bad luck with injuries. Ousmane Dembele came over from Borussia Dortmund for a base fee of 105 million euros. Add-ons and other fees brought that transfer up to <a href="https://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2021/02/12/6026bc3d268e3ecf6a8b45da.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">125 million euros</a>. Dembele’s constant injury dilemmas and lack of success on the field illustrate the obvious failures in the transfer.</p>
<p>Similarly, Barcelona acquired Philippe Coutinho for a club-record fee of 160 million euros. Injuries did not help the Brazilian, who could not keep up form on the field. Often, Barcelona fans at Camp Nou would jeer the midfielder during games.</p>
<p>The same story exists for players like Samuel Umtiti, Andre Gomes and even Antoine Griezmann. Albeit, Griezmann’s performances are fine, they just do not warrant the 120 million euro transfer fee he required.</p>
<p>The only saving grace for Barcelona in terms of transfers is that they sold Neymar for a world-record fee of 222 million euros. Despite the influx of cash from the Parisians, debt persisted and worsened.</p>
<p>At the beginning of 2021, Barcelona’s transfer debt to other clubs sat at roughly <a href="https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-news-barcelona-reveal-how-much-they-owe-other-clubs-in-transfer-fees-20210125" target="_blank" rel="noopener">205 million euros</a>.</p>
<h5>2. COVID-19 and other ventures</h5>
<p>FC Barcelona, like millions of employees and companies around the world, suffered massive losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>
<p>In their end-of-year financial analysis, the club reported a <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/1856468/the-201920-economic-year-ends-with-losses-of-97-million-euros-caused-by-the-effects-of-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">net loss of 97 million euros</a> in the 2019-20 season. The club attributes much of that to the loss of a true matchday experience. The club pulled in revenues of 162 million euros from stadium and other venue operation. This is 24 percent less than their revenues from the season prior. Additionally, 249 million euros of revenue came from broadcasting rights for Barcelona games via LaLiga, Copa del Rey or the Champions League. This resembles a 35 million euro decrease from 2018/19.</p>
<p>Despite total revenues reaching 855 million euros, the club budgeted 1.047 billion euros in revenue. The club came up 18 percent short in their revenues.</p>
<p>To boot, FC Barcelona continued their investment in upgrades to their stadium, Camp Nou. The Espai Barca project, which is a plan to modernize the grounds and the stadium at Camp Nou, costs roughly <a href="https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/news/1856346/fc-barcelona-gets-a-unique-financing-model-for-espai-barca-based-on-incremental-revenue-generated-by-the-camp-nou-over-25-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50 million euros each year</a>, for the next 25 years.</p>
<p>While a welcome change, Espai Barca represents yet another cost that may be avoidable. Regardless, the 25- to 30-year deal with Goldman Sachs yields 50 million in expenses each year.</p>
<div id="attachment_342371" style="width: 1290px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-342371" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-342371 size-full" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210818_WST_342353_Camp-Nou.webp&amp;width=1280&amp;height=720" alt="" width="1280" height="720" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Camp-Nou.jpg 1280w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Camp-Nou-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Camp-Nou-600x338.jpg 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Camp-Nou-150x84.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Camp-Nou-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-342371" class="wp-caption-text">The famous Camp Nou sat empty for over an entire season, with costly renovations on the horizon.</p></div>
<h5></h5>
<h5>3. Wages</h5>
<p>The main eye-opener in Barcelona’s $1.5 billion debt is player wages. Headlines regarding Pique, Messi and other long-standing players mention the lofty wages that must be dealt with.</p>
<p>Before his contract ended, Messi’s contract brought him over 500 million euros over a four-year span. Gerard Pique needed to take a 50 percent salary cut just to allow Barcelona’s new signings to play.</p>
<p>The salary issue reached roughly <a href="https://salarysport.com/football/la-liga/barcelona/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">280 million euros per year</a>. This was obviously unsustainable, and it brought tough decisions to the forefront of the club to offset Barcelona’s $1.5 billion debt.</p>
<h3>Steps towards recovery</h3>
<h5>Tough goodbyes</h5>
<p>Lionel Messi&nbsp;<em>is</em>, not was, an icon of the club. He wanted to stay and sign a new four-year deal at the club, taking a massive slash to his wages. He took on the saying&nbsp;<em>mes que un club</em>, as you would expect the captain to do. However, Messi’s contract and the associated plans presented by Laporta were not allowed under LaLiga attempts to tighten financial regulations.</p>
<p>With the need to shed 200 million euros to meet LaLiga’s salary cap, not even Messi’s 50 percent cut fit the designated amount. Pique’s contract was relatively small enough to squeeze into the salary cap.</p>
<p>For those wondering why Messi could not take more money off his contract, Barcelona thought of that as well. To avoid fraud, one’s contract can be no smaller than 50 percent of the previous contract. This means that even with the maximum cut, Messi’s contract was too large.</p>
<p>Here is where Joan Laporta blames the previous administration. Barcelona’s previous board, led by Josep Maria Bartomeu, signed players to such large contracts. Contracts so inflated that the debt kept piling up.</p>
<p><em><strong><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2021/07/17/espn-faq-for-la-liga-everything-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE:</a>&nbsp;</strong>ESPN+ FAQ for La Liga: Everything you need to know</em></p>
<p>Griezmann, Coutinho and Miralem Pjanic, all signings by the previous board, occupied the second-, third- and fourth-<a href="https://salarysport.com/football/la-liga/barcelona/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest salaries in 2020/21</a>. One thing these players have in common is that they underperform based on their wages, significantly. No other team wants to buy these players in a transfer to help Barcelona knowing the on-field product will not deliver. In the end, these players sit, unused, raking in lump sums of money.</p>
<p>Francisco Trincão and Junior Firpo highlight those who departed in the summer of 2021 to shed some of the salary for the upcoming season.</p>
<h5>Return to Development at La Masia</h5>
<p>The previous administration took over in 2014. The squad headlined by Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets and other La Masia products won three UEFA Champions League titles in six years. This core added a fourth in 2015. However, the direction of the club quickly changed.</p>
<p>The performances on the field lost the&nbsp;<em>tiki-taka</em> flair established by Pep Guardiola. Instead of growing talents from their academy, many players simply arrived via transfers.</p>
<p>We can see, now, how that turned out for the club. No more Champions League triumphs, a handful of domestic success, but nothing to match the standard of FC Barcelona.</p>
<p>To fix Barcelona’s $1.5 billion debt, the plan has to revert to using La Masia to create home-grown talents. Riqui Puig, Ilaix Moriba, Oscar Mingueza and other young players demonstrate the facility still has potential.</p>
<p>During his campaign for presidency, Laporta argued that the club must prioritize La Masia over outside transfers. This will be hard for many Barcelona fans used to domestic and intercontinental success, but this process will take time. However, the results, as seen in the ten-year stretch from 2006-2015, do not lie.</p>
<div id="attachment_342368" style="width: 1110px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-342368" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-342368 size-full" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210818_WST_342353_Pep-Resize.webp&amp;width=1100&amp;height=683" alt="" width="1100" height="683" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Pep-Resize.jpg 1100w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Pep-Resize-300x186.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Pep-Resize-600x373.jpg 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Pep-Resize-150x93.jpg 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Pep-Resize-768x477.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Pep-Resize-223x137.jpg 223w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-342368" class="wp-caption-text">FC Barcelona players lift former manager Pep Guardiola.</p></div>
<h5></h5>
<h5>Rebuild the culture</h5>
<p>Lionel Messi is one of the last players to hold what made the Barcelona teams of years prior so special. He played with a certain style on the pitch. Also, he did not speak negatively about the club until the summer of 2020 during his quarrel with Bartomeu.</p>
<p>With Messi gone, it is hard to envision the trademark tiki-taka style at Camp Nou. With Laporta emphasizing the importance of La Masia, that style can return to its roots.</p>
<p>A younger revolution at the club means the chance to create something special. The results can be seen. Pedri, although he was purchased from Las Palmas, resembles what Iniesta and Xavi brought to the club. It is a challenging comparison to make, but Ansu Fati is on par with some of Messi’s early records. These players, along with the aforementioned La Masia graduates, can build the core of a team to legitimately compete in a few years.</p>
<p>What is even more exciting for Barcelona and its fans, is the fact that these players have the charisma and style that graced previous generations of Barcelona players. Perhaps Barcelona can rise again?</p>
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FC Barcelona's $1.5 billion debt seems like an impossible number to reach. However, what seems even more insurmountable is trying to overcome it.

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