Last night Barça played the last game of the season, vs Eibar from the bottom of the table. However, on the pitch it didn’t look like there is much difference between the teams Moreover, in the first half Eibar had 11 shots, and Barça had 0. But in the end of the day, it was Griezmann who scored the last goal of the season. With this win vs Eibar Barça finishes this crazy season at the 3rd place in the league. And there are a lot of things to do now.
But first, we have to congratulate Atletico Madrid for their well deserve league title. And we want to especially congratulate Luis Suarez, who was their main man. A year after the club forced him out, he led Atletico to the title. Just like David Villa in 2014. What is more amazing is that Barça paid half of his salary this season, only for moving him to a direct rival.
So now that the season is over, Laporta and his board members have many changes they will have to make. We will write a lot about every aspect in the next days, but let’s take a quick look:
Coaching Staff
Instead of the initial rumors that talked about signing Koeman on a 1+1 years contract, Bartomeu signed him for 2 years. That means he has contract for another year. And according to his last press conference, he wants to stay. How much will a one-sided sacking of Koeman will cost the club? Around 7 Million Euros. In the current financial status of the club it’s a lot of money.
Koeman did some good things, won a cup, and he took charge of the club in a very bad atmosphere. And we need to remember the great run of games in the start of 2021. However, the team failed in every major test, and we cannot allow that. Moreover, many fans are angry with the treatment of Riqui Puig, among other players. For example, one day before the match, Koeman demanded respect for the players. However, after the match vs Eibar, the Barça coach said that many players lack the necessary quality.
I believe that Laporta wants a new project, with “his” man as a coach. Therefore, I don’t see Koeman staying. I see Laporta negotiating with the Dutch coach, so the club will pay him less. Koeman is a club legend, and loves Barça, but I’m not sure that he’s tactically capable to compete vs the best coaches in the world.
Building the squad
This aspect is a crucial one. We all know that the Barça squad needs major changes, and we’ll talk about it a lot in the summer. The first thing that Laporta will do is to settle the new contract of Leo Messi. This is the first and most important task for the President.
Then, the club will have to sell many players that are currently earn much more then what they give back. Many players will leave, and others will have to sign a new contract with reduced salary. The future of players like Dembele, Sergi Roberto, Pjanic, Coutinho and others are on the list of possible departures.
Meanwhile, the club will have to sign players in order to renew the squad and have a competitive team. Players like Aguero and Eric Garcia are set to sign. Moreover, the arrival of Memphis Depay and Emerson are more than possible too.
Financial Aspect
Looks like the club is making the necessary changes in the economic aspect. Cutting the wages of the squad is one thing. But a refunding deal with Goldman Sachs will allow Barça to breath without the bankruptcy scare. Moreover, the possible sell of the ‘Barça Corporate’ will give the club around 300 Million Euros.
One thing is for sure – It’s going to be a very interesting summer.
