Today Barcelona plays its last official match of the year against Almería, bottom of the League that has not yet won. After the defeat against Girona and the draw in València, Xavi Hernández’s team faces the match without margin for error. With almost half of the championship completed, Xavi’s men occupy third position, nine points behind the leader, Girona, and seven behind Real Madrid. At the same time, in the offices of the sports city and in the Camp Nou offices, president Joan Laporta, who yesterday participated in the club’s traditional Christmas lunch with the media, highlights his confidence in Xavi and the footballers, he hopes the verdict for the Super League with optimistic feelings and is working towards the winter market to incorporate a midfielder on loan to cover the loss of Gavi. This is his agenda.
Xavi hopes that the club will give him a midfielder for Christmas. “We need a Gavi, but it is difficult to get him,” said the coach in the previous match against Almería. In the offices, the sports team led by Deco is already looking for a profile that can arrive on loan, although they believe that it is difficult to find a player with Gavi’s talent and character with hardly any salary margin to sign him up. The offices are becoming less and less optimistic with the arrival of the 40 million euros that the German fund Libero must provide, which repurchased, together with NIPA Capital B.V., 29.5% of Barça Studios for 60 million euros. Although they defend that there is still time, they do not rule out looking for other alternatives. Among them, the possibility that the board chaired by Laporta will once again endorse the signing of new signings as was done with Koundé two summers ago and with João Félix and João Cancelo in August.
In any case, the arrival of Vitor Roque, scheduled after the Christmas break, is eagerly awaited. Given the team’s lack of a goal, the expectations of the Barcelona environment are very high with the 18-year-old Brazilian. “He is hope for the team. I hope Vitor Roque is like Messi or Cristiano, but we have to wait and give him time,” Xavi recommended. Laporta shares the caution conveyed by the coach and has also made it clear that there will be no departures in January, thus silencing the rumors that place Araújo at Bayern Munich. The president, who knows that the staff is short, does not foresee Lewandowski’s departure either now or in the summer. Confidence in the Pole, with a contract until June 30, 2025 and another optional year that will depend on his performance, remains intact.
After playing today against Almería in Montjuïc, the team will travel directly to Texas to play a friendly in the early hours of December 22 against América, a match that will be played at the Cotton Bowl Stadium and will be the last match of the year. The club will earn five million net.
Barça, which together with Real Madrid leads the Super League ship, hopes that the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union that will be announced tomorrow will be favorable to its creation. The resolution will be final, since there is no appeal against it. Laporta, who is waiting for an interpretative text that puts an end to UEFA’s monopoly, is in favor of agreeing with the highest body in European football to launch the Super League in two years. On the other hand, Florentino Pérez’s Real Madrid wants to start the competition without having the approval of UEFA. The Super League, which aims to include the Premier League clubs, would mean an economic injection of 1,000 million euros, a real lifesaver for the Barcelona entity.
After the defeat in the Champions League in Antwerp, Laporta spoke with the players, who conveyed their commitment and desire to reverse the situation. The president never tires of reiterating his confidence in Xavi until the end of the course, whatever happens, without losing sight of Rafa Márquez, who continues learning in the reserve team. If the injuries spare the players, Laporta is convinced that Barça can win the League and aspire to the Champions League.
