After Busquets: The Future of Barcelona without Sergio Busquets
Busquets is the final member to leave from the highly celebrated midfield trio of Barcelona. Let’s have a closer look at the future of Barcelona following his departure.
Barcelona’s midfield maestro and one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Sergio Busquets, departed from Barcelona prior to the 2023–2024 season. He will be joining Inter Miami, a team in Major League Soccer (MLS), where he will have the opportunity to play alongside former teammate Lionel Messi.
With the absence of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and now Busquets and Alba (who is also leaving Barcelona), new challenges await head coach Xavi Hernández, who returned to Barcelona two years ago. Fans and pundits unanimously agree that filling the void left by Busquets will be no easy task.
He served as a leader both on and off the pitch and has been the engine driving Barcelona since the days of Pep Guardiola.
In the 1980s, Johan Cruyff took on the role of coach for Barcelona. During that time, Barcelona found themselves trailing behind Real Madrid in terms of domestic and European achievements. However, Cruyff implemented revolutionary decisions and introduced footballing philosophies that transformed Barcelona’s legacy.
It was under his guidance that Pep Guardiola, widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation and now considered a top tactician, emerged. Cruyff built a team with Guardiola at its core, leading them to multiple domestic league victories and one European Cup, solidifying Barcelona’s status as a force to be reckoned with.
Fast-forward to 2008, when Guardiola himself became the coach of Barcelona. He took charge of a struggling team, faltering in both the league and cup competitions.
Guardiola turned to Busquets, entrusting him with the role he once held during the Cruyff era, and the results were historic. Busquets became the driving force behind one of the world’s greatest teams, not only in the current decade but also in previous ones.
It was an extraordinary team that seemed invincible, propelling Barcelona to become the most decorated team in the 21st century. Busquets excelled in forming intricate passing triangles on the field with his teammates, renowned for his exceptional vision, passing ability, leadership, and game control.
At his prime, Busquets epitomized the ideal midfield player. Even in the later years of his career at Barcelona, whether alongside Messi or with relatively new teammates, he consistently showcased his immense talent.
How Barcelona Will miss Busquets:
Barcelona will undeniably feel the absence of Sergio Busquets, with his exceptional passing abilities, defensive contributions, and defense-breaking passes in attack. Moreover, his leadership qualities bridging the on-field play with the coach and bench will be sorely missed.
Barcelona’s style of play has been akin to a poetic, artistic, and flowing river, and Busquets served as the curator of their footballing identity. Without him, Barcelona faces a significant challenge ahead.
The Barcelona management, unfortunately, has not implemented well-thought-out transfer policies since Neymar’s departure in 2017. Amidst this influx of players, it was Busquets who acted as the glue, connecting them on and off the field.
His contributions in bringing out the best in promising talents like Pedri and Gavi, as well as his support to De Jong during his early days, deserve immense appreciation.
It is worth noting that Busquets had to create a system, integrate relatively new players, and adhere to a footballing philosophy that has been extensively analyzed worldwide by tacticians and coaches seeking to decipher its secrets.
Towards the latter stages of his career, this reality became evident for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team. While both teams boasted formidable midfields, challenges arose in terms of defensive solidity and effectiveness in the attacking third.
It became apparent that simply orchestrating hundreds of passes might not guarantee victories if they were not converted into goals. This issue manifested itself in the relatively less successful periods experienced by Barcelona and Spain. However, it is important to emphasize that Sergio Busquets is not to be solely blamed for these outcomes. Without his presence in midfield, the results could have been even more disappointing.
After Busquets: How Barcelona can fill the void
The question of whether Barcelona can adequately replace Busquets remains to be seen, and only time will tell how they manage the void left by him. However, fans can take solace in the fact that Xavi, a Barcelona legend, is now managing the club during this transitional period. Similar to how Cruyff discovered Pep or how Pep found Busquets, there is hope that Xavi can also unearth talented individuals. The key query is whether such talents exist within La Masia or the Barcelona B team, as their impressive performances would certainly excite the fans.
Another option being explored by Xavi is making the most of the available players like De Jong, Pedri, Gavi, and the promising Nico.
However, none of these players possess the same versatility and skill set as Busquets. They lack his innate sense of positioning, spatial awareness, and technical ability to lead Barcelona’s positional play in the near future.
Pedri and Gavi, while highly talented, are still young and developing, making it challenging for them to take on the pivotal role. De Jong is undoubtedly a great talent and a potential option, but his strengths lie more in an attacking mindset. Barcelona’s recent signing, Gundogan, could be another alternative. He brings versatility, a proven track record, and experience from playing with some of the world’s greatest players. Additionally, his previous collaboration with Pep as his first signing could prove advantageous.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that Gundogan is a temporary solution to Barcelona’s problems
The synchronization of Gundogan with the team from the beginning of the next season will be crucial. While he adds depth to Barcelona’s midfield, it may be unrealistic to expect him to immediately assume the role of midfield leader in his first season.
Football rarely offers instant successes. Without Busquets, Barcelona might face challenges in the league during the initial games. However, looking ahead, their chances of success in the UEFA Champions League are still favorable, given their determination to bounce back from a string of disappointing seasons.
To manage the void left by Busquets, Xavi will likely devise a midfield strategy involving De Jong and Gundogan controlling the game. The ultimate success of Barcelona after Busquets will depend on how effectively these two players can run the midfield engine.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider giving it a 👏 and feel free to reach out to me at connect2jaseel@gmail.com for any queries, collaborations, or freelance opportunities.
