Are FC Barcelona back?

Karan Ahgun

— 4 min read
Are FC Barcelona back?
Photo by AXP Photography / Unsplash

FC Barcelona have been playing some scintillating football since the appointment of Hansi Flick as manager in the summer. The German currently has Barça top of La Liga and they are really taking advantage of Real Madrid's slump in form. Barça are well-positioned to make an impact in the Champions League too for the first time in a long time and there are signs of revival for the Catalan club. So how successful could this season be for Barça?

Last season was a season of ups and downs for Barcelona, especially on the managerial front. After 3 years in charge, Xavi was sacked by Barça. This decision came only one month after the club convinced Xavi to stay on after he announced that he wanted to leave at the end of the campaign in January. This situation highlighted the mistreatment of coaches and players by Barcelona in recent times and the decision prompted the Sevilla manager to say, "I shouldn't say this, but how badly Barcelona treats its legends. Koeman, Messi, with Xavi now... what a bad streak. I wish clubs would value their legends.". Along with this issue, Barça have had their financial issues too after a period of erroneous spending on player transfers which landed them in trouble, including having problems registering players due to their inflated wage bill. But the appointment of former Bayern and Germany manager, Hansi Flick, has brought some much needed optimism this season and as a result, Barça are once again one of the top teams in Europe.

One of the biggest changes at Barcelona has been the style of play which has moved to a more direct way of playing rather than persisting with the turgid tiki-taka style of play. Flick has implemented a similar high-pressing and aggressive style of play to the one that he had at Bayern Munich when he won the Champions League. So far, there have been very few issues for Flick at Barcelona and he has already recorded some standout wins including a 4-1 victory over Bayern Munich and a 4-0 away thrashing of Real Madrid. The players seem to really suit this new style of play and the recruitment of Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig has added more ruthlessness to Barça's attack. The attacking patterns employed by Flick are one of the more eye-catching transformations this season. Every Barça attack is vibrant and energetic and most of the time carries a real threat. One of the surprises this has brought is the upturn in form of Raphinha. The former Leeds United winger already has 23 G/A this season and is now a pivotal player in this Barcelona team. Being captain has also seemed to spark more determination in Raphinha to show his qualities and make a really positive impact at Barça.

Undoubtedly, the star of this Barcelona team is Lamine Yamal. After lighting up the European Championships in the summer, the 17 year old has carried his form into this season and has become the poster boy for Barcelona. Yamal has 14 G/A this season and has impressed on the right wing, linking up brilliantly with his teammates in attack and posing a constant threat to opposition defences. Yamal is a joy to watch and plays the game like he has been playing for 10 years already. His decision-making is already top and his flair in dribbling past defenders always gets Barça fans off their seats. The club have yet again found a gem from La Masia along with Pedri, Gavi and Pau Cubarsi and this gives the club a youthful core upon which they can build on. There are no limits on how special Yamal can be if he doesn't stray away from football and focuses on being the best he can be.

So Barça are currently favourites to win La Liga and have hopes of having a deep Champions League run. Hansi Flick has changed the fortunes of the club through a change in footballing philosophy which has suited his players and brought the best out of them. Barcelona will look to build on this and the wealth a young, talented players they have, and will hope to build a team to challenge in the Champions League too!

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