12/31/2022
On at 20:24
TEC
FC Barcelona starts the new year with great perspectives and goals to meet
The sporting aspect is vital, but also the institutional one with fundamental aspects for the future
The 2023 must be a year that serves to continue the line of recovery of the FC Barcelona in all the senses. In the sporting aspect, the men’s soccer team is the one that has the most duties, while the women’s team wants to continue to excel. The sections also want to stay in the elite. Barça lives from sport, but its institutional base must be solid and, in this sense, the Espai Barça, the move to Montjuïc or the care of the economy are essential.
These are the 23 main challenges for Barça for this new year that is beginning:
1. Win the League
The first men’s soccer team must fight and get the league title to reverse a very negative sporting situation after 2022 in white. It must be the great objective, beyond fighting for everything. Barça cannot ignore trophies like the Super Cup or the Copa del Rey.
2. Xavi consolidates a style of play
Xavi’s Barça has lurched. The idea of going out to win and govern the parties is clear, but there are still many aspects to iron out. The team’s game must be more choral and not depend so much on the inspiration of the cracks at certain times.
3. Be a reference again in Europe
In addition to looking for the Europa League, Barça must think that in 2023 they cannot afford to fall for the third time in the group stage of the Champions League. 2024 must start within the box of the round of 16.
4. An ecosystem for Lewandowski
Dembélé, Raphinha, Ferran, Ansu… Xavi has not yet found the best combination at the ends to accompany Lewandowski, the star signing of 2022, on the trident One of the objectives of this new year goes through looking for the best partners for the Polish ‘killer’.
5. The Busquets case
He is the captain of Barça and your situation deserves to be treated with special attention. If he decides to end his time at the Blaugrana club, the farewell has to be up to par and if Xavi convinces him to continue, his renewal must take effect without soap operas involved.
6. Management of ‘sacred cows’
In addition to Busquets, Sergi Roberto or Jordi Alba cannot be immersed in controversies originated by the club itselfAs has happened this past year. Barça must be very clear with them, in one way or another, without airing issues.
7. Recover the best Ansu Fati
Barça renewed him, gave him the maximum status with the ’10’ on his back and maintains Xavi’s confidence to be a reference player. The future of Barça happens to a large extent because he is once again the determining player of his beginnings in the first team.
8. Raise the template level
The summer transfer market was one of the best in recent years. For the additions, for the casualties, for the youth players… The squad made a leap in quality, but some key pieces are still missing and there are ‘cracks’ like Zubimendi, Neves or Kanté.
9. What will happen to Messi?
It is the great unknown of next year. Will he renew with PSG, will he start a new stage in Miami or -the most complicated thing- will he bet on one last dance in the club of his life? In the coming months, Messi will have to make a decision about his immediate future. Barça and Laporta want him back and have left the door open for him.
10. Strengthen the right side
Improvisation with the arrival of Bellerín on the last day of the transfer window cannot be repeated. Barça has time to negotiate an incorporation. Names like Dalot, Foyth. Meunier or Pavard are some of the candidates.
11. Renew the youth
The sporting future of the club depends on its commitment to young people. Ansu Fati has a contract until 2027; Pedri, Araujo and Gavi, until 2026, although the latter does not yet have a first-team record. The next to stamp their signatures on a new contract should be Alejandro Balde, Iñaki Peña and Arnau Tenaswhich has two more years expandable.
12. The Youth League, the great illusion in the quarry
Barça is back in the round of 16 of the Under-19 Champions League, after having had an excellent group stage. Òscar López and Saviola lead a team that combines Juvenil A players with players in their first year in the subsidiary. Marc Casado, Chadi Riyadh, Alex Garrido, Victor Barbera, Ilias Akhomach, Angel Alarcon… There is a team to repeat the feat of 2018.
13. Go for the second women’s Champions League
Three finals in four years, the best for women’s Barça. However, Jonatan Giráldez’s team has the thorn in Turin and wants to get rid of it this coming year. They promised a Champions League to the fans and who return all the support received by raising the Cup on June 3 in Eindhoven.
14. Alexia’s Return
One of the worst news of 2022 was the serious injury suffered in July by the Barça captain. Her recovery is going well, this week she has started to walk on the grass, with individual exercises, and His return is the most anticipated of the year that beginsnecessary to fight for all the titles.
15. More magical nights at the Camp Nou
2022 has been the year of records in women’s football. Barça marked a before and after in the Champions League classic at the Camp Nou (91,553 spectators) and almost a month later broke its own world record, with 96,648 fans against Wolfsburg. Since then it began to be common to open the big stadiums for the big events, and let it continue like this.
16. The year of the Super League?
laporta He is optimistic about the Super League and has reiterated it throughout this year. He knows that the income from this competition would give Barça economic oxygen and help it become a financially sustainable club. This year would have to be decisive for the outcome of this issue.
17. Advance in the ‘Espai Barça’
The works of the Camp Nou are already visible in the Gol Sur as the starting gun. The financing is almost closed with Goldman Sachs, without exceeding 1,500 million euros, but before signing it, the adjudication of the works must be specified.
18. The transfer to Montjuïc
In the summer of 2023, Barça will move to the Lluís Companys de Montluïc stadium. The club will have to spend some 20 million euros to adapt the stadium and must also carry out a campaign aimed at members to explain the move.
19. New measures for the fair play financial
The League has already announced that it will tighten its measures so that the economic levers that allowed the club to revive in 2022 are not repeated. Barça will have to think about new measures, consider selling players or continue reformulating salaries.
20. The long-awaited Euroleague basketball
After two consecutive years reaching the Final Four, Those of Saras want to make the expression ‘the third time the charm’ good. In this 2023, the most prestigious title for Barça basketball cannot be escaped again.
21. The third consecutive handball Champions League
Ortega’s team has the difficult mission of winning the third consecutive Champions League having made history in 2022 by being the first to win the trophy twice in a row in the Final Four format. The ambition is maximum.
22. Overcoming the European accident in futsal
The Velasco project remains firm despite the disappointment caused by the elimination of this edition of the Champions League. The renovations of Dyego, Adolfo and Matheus They are a good example of a team that aspires to win the League for the third consecutive season.
23. Reclaim the throne of European hockey
The Barca, team with the most titles in this competition, wants to regain its throne in Europe. After three years without reaching the final, plus one in which it was canceled due to the pandemic, the great objective of Edu Castro’s team is none other than the European League.
Let’s see how many of these 23 challenges are met in this new year that is beginning.