Sergio Busquets claims he ‘could talk for hours’ about the current situation at Barcelona.
The midfielder is referring to the dismal previous season and the worrying rumours regarding the club. Although it is much more than trophies and points, Barcelona are losing their fear factor. They are a team well and truly in transition and look a shadow of their former world-class self. The internal affairs are being shown to the world as the players speak out against club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Worryingly, this is not the first time that an important player has highlighted the bigger problems at the club. As well as Sergio Busquets, Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez have both spoken out about the issues at Barcelona.
Sergio Busquets Speaks Out on Barcelona Problems
Busquets: ‘It is Not the Best Moment at Barça’
This is an especially tough time for Barcelona and everyone involved with the club recognises this. With Ronald Koeman taking the reigns, he becomes the third head coach of the calendar year, which is far from ideal at any big club. Quique Setien, Koeman’s predecessor, was the head coach for just 25 matches before being sacked after a humiliating defeat against Bayern Munich. Obviously, the problems run deeper than the head coach and this is something that the players are keen to address.
Koeman also steps into Barcelona amidst a tough financial period and will need to be astute with any signings. Additionally, Barcelona’s talisman Lionel Messi is publically disgruntled and is irreplaceable. Koeman now has the difficult job of bridging the gap between the team and the board and restoring order during an internal power struggle.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Spain’s Nations League match against Ukraine, Busquets said: “One thing is what happens outside, which is not the best moment of the club.
“And another what happens in the field, which was not our best year and it shows at an individual and collective level.
“If I stopped to give my opinion carefully, it could be five or six hours.
“On the field it was not our best year. Football is a team sport and if you are not well collectively, you will not be individually. But it has already happened and we have a new opportunity. Things have changed and we hope it will get better.”
Barcelona’s Club President Has Taken Flack From the Players
Josep Maria Bartomeu is the man at the centre of the issues. Bartomeu and Messi’s public spat was indicative of the gulf between some top players and the board. If Barcelona could be embodied by anyone, it would be Lionel Messi. The superstar has been at the core of the team since he was 18-years-old. Now 33, Messi wants out of his beloved Barcelona. His leaving would surely be the end of a magical era but he is desperate to fix the problems at the club first.
Messi will be staying at Barcelona, for now. However, he directly attacked Bartomeu and how the club is struggling under his leadership: “The management of the club led by Bartomeu is a disaster. The truth is that there is no project at this club. They just plug holes as and when things happen.”
Messi is referring to La Masia, an institute that created some of the best players to grace a pitch. The golden generation of La Masia graduates will be hard to replicate but this system is the embodiment of the club’s ethos.
Bartomeu is predicting a difficult period for the club but is keen to shift the blame to the COVID-19 pandemic. This could be the best chance to introduce some La Masia talent into the first-team.
Main Photo
