The departure of Gerard Piqué in January marked a turning point in the Barcelona captaincy. The departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in June confirmed the change of cycle in the select group of captains who, together with Sergi Roberto, could boast of football origins. Of the group of four leaders trained at the Masia, only Sergi Roberto continues. The one from Reus, who started last year as the third holder of the armband and who finished last year as the second captain, goes up another step. Whenever he plays, he will be the leader and spokesperson of the team on the pitch. His experience and empathy are the two aspects that the players and the coaching staff value most.
Second place will remain the property of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who joined the leaders’ club in January after Piqué left. Ter Stegen has not only gained more confidence in the sporting field after a great season in which he won the first Zamora award. Teammates and coaching staff consider him a great leader also off the field. Involved, hardworking, referent and hungry for titles.
The plan that remains in the locker room is for the squad to elect the other two leaders through a vote. Discarded the arrival of Leo Messi, who, if he had returned, would most likely be one of the captains due to his ascendancy and importance in the history of the club, the coaching staff is clear that, in the voting, criteria such as, for example, antiquity. A factor that would have elevated Ousmane Dembélé to the captaincy – 23-24 will be his seventh season at the club. It remains to be seen what will happen with Frenkie de Jong, a footballer who will be at Barcelona for five years this year and who has also gained ascendancy in the team. An element that will be important in voting, as well as personality, leadership or charisma.
In this sense, Ronald Araújo and Robert Lewandowski are seen as strong candidates in the dressing room. Respected by their teammates and also by the coaching staff, they have been two of the team’s leaders without an armband. Araújo, a footballer also much loved by the fans and valued for his ambition and strong personality, added four seasons in the first team, to which we must add two more campaigns in the subsidiary.
For his part, Robert Lewandowski has acted as a mentor to the youngsters and a goalscorer in his first year at Barcelona. His role was also essential in convincing Ilkay Gündogan of the fact that Barcelona should be the next destination. The former City captain, who will be presented today in the sports city, coincided with the German for three seasons at Borussia Dortmund. Since then, they have maintained a close friendship. Gündogan will not officially be captain, but in the sports city they consider the former City player to be a leader without an armband. It all adds up.
