The renewal of the workforce has caused a restructuring of the group’s forces
Veterans remain in the minority and young people squeeze
Dembélé comes out at SPORT and highlights the atmosphere in the locker room, Koundé comes out in the press room and also praises the spirit that has been found in the group, Xavi comes out and praises that “the mood is now better”.
The Barcelona squad has undergone an extensive transformation in recent seasons to the point that the old guard, the sacred cows, they are staying alone. Of those who know the dressing room well, he assures that “some of them also know that they are touched to death. And they no longer fight on a day-to-day basis in the daily conflicts that come out in each locker room”.
In recent years, and sponsored by the idea of Xavi Hernández, the heart of the team has been modified because the base of the team is different. Up to 15 players are new, or almost new ones, in the Camp Nou locker room (Peña, Araujo, Christensen, Koundé, Eric, Pedri, Kessie, Lewandowski, Memphis, Fati, Ferran, Raphinha, Torre, Bellerin and Marcos Alonso) while of the old guard there are only seven left (Ter Stegen, Piqué, Alba, Busquets, Sergi Roberto, De Jong and Dembélé).
Barca – Cadiz
| Javi Ferrandiz
The captains remain the same but the heart of the team is changing. The captains have lost specific weight in the group and in their decisions, and others are assuming stripes as is the case of Eric, Lewandowski, Pedri or Araujo.
Xavi has opened the locker room windows and new airs are entering to change the dynamics in which the team had entered, immersed in old quarrels and martyred by old defeats that have been undermining their credibility with the fans.
The passing of the years also favors this change. There are fewer and fewer players who exceed thirty and its specific gravity decreases. If we were to put an imaginary age line we could put 27 years. Below, there are 15 players and above there are only nine. This means that the jokes, the code and, ultimately, the unwritten laws are being modified day by day.
Barça is turning the page without much fanfare. If Messi left this club and stayed alive, what can happen if players like Alba or Piqué are playing a testimonial role? Any. No one is essential and they themselves took some testimonies that they must now give up.
