9 months ago. Barcelona, Spain

La Liga 2021-22: Will Messi exit be the making or breaking of Barca?

#FCBarcelona #LaLigaSantander #LionelMessi

Lionel Messi helped Barcelona win 35 titles, including 10 La Ligas and 4 Champions Leagues
Messi's exit has opened the door for Antoine Griezmann to become Barca's talisman
Barca have signed Eric Garcia, Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero on free transfers this summer

Losing its greatest-ever player and icon in unceremonious fashion to a major European rival, while dealing with financial woes that had been preventing the club from registering summer signings, isn’t the ideal way for Barcelona to embark on a quest to wrest a first La Liga title since 2019.

The importance of Lionel Messi for this club cannot be understated – the Argentine helped Barca win 35 titles, including 10 La Ligas, four Champions Leagues and others, since his debut in 2004 – making for the most successful and profitable player-club partnership in football history.

But the club is always bigger than any player, and that Barca have to prove in the upcoming season.

Maybe president Joan Laporta can take a leaf from his Real Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez’s book and seamlessly move on from the departure of a club legend. Since he has wholly backed Perez in plans for the European Super League and rejecting the CVC-La Liga deal, Laporta should have learnt a trick or two in that regard by now.

And there is enough in the ranks to help ease the transition and build a new future for a superclub the size and stature of Barcelona. Among its greatest footballing assets right now, like always, is the youth.

Also Read | 'Very happy' Lionel Messi ready to play with the best at PSG

An injury-hit 2020-21 season restricted Ansu Fati to just 10 appearances across competitions, but the 18-year-old has already been deemed by the fans as the heir-apparent to Messi’s throne. His Spain teammate Pedri, also 18, played an astonishing 73 games last season for club and country and is fast gaining repute as one of the brightest midfield talents in the world.

This season may also be the long-awaited one where prodigal son Riqui Puig explodes onto the scene. Other up-and-coming talents like winger Yusuf Demir, striker Rey Manaj, midfielder Nico Gonzalez have also impressed in pre-season and can look to make an impression this season.

Also Read | La Liga 2021-22: Are Real Madrid still a contender for the Spanish title?

Barca have also done some sound business over the summer, bringing the likes of Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay on free transfers. Memphis has already shown he is ready for the step-up from Lyon’s Groupama Stadium to the Camp Nou and his fluidity in the final third is a perfect fit for Barca’s style.

Penalty-box specialist Aguero will be expected to fill in at centre-forward sporadically, but the conditions couldn’t be better for France international Antoine Griezmann to be finally come into his own and be Barca’s main man.

The former Atletico Madrid striker is coming off the back of his best season for the Catalans, directly involved in 33 goals in 51 games, and with Messi gone, he can make the free-roaming right winger position his own.

Sergio Busquests enjoyed a brilliant Euro 2020 campaign with Spain and will still be Barca’s controller-in-chief in midfield with Frekie de Jong well suited to play either as the second in a double pivot or as a number six in a midfield three.

Also Read | La Liga 2021-22: Atletico Madrid's best chance at title defence?

Garcia and Ronald Araujo have potential to forge a long-term centre-back pairing to settle the Catalans’ rocky backline, but the experienced trio of Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti need to ensure more clean sheets than ever, now that the primary attacking force has been lost.

History has witnessed clubs being thrown in turmoil after the departure of an influential figure - Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal after Arsene Wenger, Real Madrid after Cristiano Ronaldo.

Also Read | La Liga 2021-22: Atletico Madrid's best chance at title defence?

Although one can argue the former two were managers who stayed with their clubs for decades and a comparison with players isn't fair, players like Messi and Ronaldo are giants of the sport and have impacted the footballing world in a way never seen before.

The transition to a post-Messi era can be a very tricky one for Barcelona and the focus for manager Ronald Koeman and the board should be to rediscover togetherness and their erstwhile collective brilliance to ensure their recent dominance over the Spanish top-flight does not peter out.

#Football #Sports #Spain #Europe #GerardPique #MemphisDepay #SergioBusquets #RonaldKoeman

La Liga 2021-22: Will Messi exit be the making or breaking of Barca?

Trending on Opoyi