In August 2018, Barcelona introduced its captains: Messi, Busquets, Piqué and Sergi Roberto. The four had formed in La Masia, only Piqué (United and Zaragoza) knew what it was like to live far from Camp Nou. This quartet of captains was supposed to unite a locker room that had grown under the leadership of a man like Carles Puyol. The old guard, however, was in different tunes. Sergi Roberto has no ancestry, the charisma of the funny Piqué is not taken seriously in the squad, Busquets takes care only of his land, while Messi accuses more than ever the loneliness of the number one.
"When talking about players, you should give names," replied the 10 to the Secretario Tecnico, Eric Abidal, who had alluded to the laziness of the squad two days before the game this Thursday against Athletic in San Mamés, in the quarters of the Copa del Rey. The Argentine understands that the appointments to the locker room, the sacred cows and the squad are euphemisms in their own name. An unfair situation for Messi, who had already gone silent in front of those who had pointed him as the culprit of Ernesto Valverde's departure.
Barca midfielders felt unprotected in the Txingurri (Valverde) system. They considered that the Cáceres coach overprotected Messi and Luis Suarez, whom he exempted from defensive work, while they were wearing out trying to cover the spaces that the Argentine and the Uruguayan left empty. "You can't always defend with eight players plus Ter Stegen," they complained. Busquets, who used to sit with Xavi Hernández and get lost in long tactical conversations, did not lose the habit of talking to the current Al-Sadd coach. The pivot from Badia, along with Rakitic - he had lost prominence with Valverde - and Jordi Alba, were not exactly against the return of Xavi to Camp Nou, this time to sit on the bench.
Goalkeeper Ter Stegen, oblivious to any power dispute in the locker room, publicly complained about the lack of defensive commitment. "Angry?" The German questioned in the mixed area of Prague after the tight victory against Slavia. “It's normal, we haven't played at the level we wanted. We have to talk about some things that I will not say here, it is something internal and I am not like that. I like talking to those in the field first. There are a few things to improve.” Ter Stegen's phrase began to show the disputes in the Barca dressing room, which continued to crack after the dismissal of Valverde.
The arrival of Setién proved hopeful for soccer players who proclaimed themselves as "guardians of the style". The Cantabrian lovingly keeps a t-shirt autographed by Sergio Busquets, who gave it to him when he trained Betis. But the first two victories (Granada and Ibiza) in the Setién era did not finish convincing the squad and the defeat against Valencia sharpened old-new disputes in the Barcelona locker room. “The atmosphere in Mestalla was horrible. It was evident that the tension was coming from afar and it was not the typical rage of losing a match”, reflects a Barça employee. The friction did not end in Mestalla. On the way back to training, Messi had an altercation with Ter Stegen in the dispute of a split ball.
The discussion between the captain and the German drew attention. Their relationship had always been cordial, especially one of respect and admiration. At the gala of the last Golden Ball, Ter Stegen had asked Messi for a picture next to the award, which the 10 accepted gladly. A postcard that the keeper uploaded to social networks. “More than deserved. Congratulations”, published Ter Stegen. "This is also yours", Messi thanked him privately. Ter Stegen supported the arrival of De Jong, gets along with Rakitic and is in tune with Semedo and the French group.
Griezmann's arrival
Despite mastering the language and knowing LaLiga, Griezmann had a hard time understanding the dynamism of the locker room. Initially observed with some suspicion by the group of Messi, Luis Suárez and Arturo Vidal, little by little, the French began to gain the sympathy of the #10. The phone call by Godín (intimate of 17) to Luis Suárez, added to the Griezmann's attitude that went from being irritating to entertaining, favored his integration. However, he is always closer to Lenglet, Umtiti and Dembélé, a group as heterogeneous as it is united.
Setien quickly understood that the group needed to stick together. After Messi publicly called out Abidal, the coach sought to break the tension between his boys with a game before training, which they did not hide from the cameras (they are allowed to film the first 15 minutes). “You have already seen it. You can reproduce the images. They are exercises for fun and laugh. This may not always be the case because defeats affect the team, but the staff is motivated and eager. Our fans will like to see the staff happy and happy”, explained the Barcelona coach. Only Piqué missed it, doubtful against Athletic. And it is known that he will not be playing against Betis, since Competition did not take away the card he saw against Levante.
Piqué usually shows up when things get twisted in Barça. "We have to be all united," he warned in Pamplona. But the centreback's words have an interpretation more linked to the business, the future and his intention to be president, rather than to solve the present. Busquets takes the floor when you have to defend the style, and Sergi Roberto awakens the sympathy of the defenders of La Masia. Messi is usually silent. When he speaks, however, the board tightens its belts. The Barca captaincy symbolizes the atomization of a jagged squad, as aging one as they are a winning one. "In 2015, things were not right with Luis Enrique and we ended up winning the treble", they conclude in the dressing room. An optimism that Setien clings to in the fight against giants.
emojis gave it away
