A deficient finish to 2024, with five issues gained from the last 21 to be had in La Liga, as well as the non-registration of summer recruits Dani Olmo and Pau Victor for the moment part of the season, hung like a fog over Barcelona. day they returned from their Christmas vacation.
With this scenario, and still no explanation from club president Joan Laporta, the Catalans made the short trip north-west to Barbastro, in the neighbouring region of Aragon, to begin their 2024-25 Copa del Rey challenge in a stadium with a capacity of just over 5,000.
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UD Barbastro is a team of the Second Federation, the fourth Spanish division, which also faced Barcelona in this festival last January and fought until the end through the loss of 3-2. After the qualifying stages of this season opposed the two teams, they sought to repeat the feat: face one of the European football giants.
However, Hansi Flick’s team came out focused on their task, knowing that a mistake against a more than manageable opponent would not contribute anything intelligent to an already delicate situation for the club. Their 4-0 victory, with goals from Eric García, two from Robert Lewandowski and Pablo Torre, in an attack that they dominated from start to finish, made it possible not to fan the fire of the crisis that the team is going through. club.
The composition of the film a hybrid between the same first XI of Barcelona, to ensure that there would be no surprises in this meeting, and new starters less same as Gerard Martin and Torre. It’s also a day of starts for Wojciech Szczesny and Toni Fernandez, and a day of regression for Ronald Araujo, who started and played 90 minutes after missing 181 days due to a hamstring injury.
“Where is Dani Olmo? Dani Olmo, where is he? the Barbastro fans sang before the start of the game. A few hours before the start of the match, the final resolution of the RFEF had been announced in a statement: neither Olmo nor Víctor would obtain the benefits of a license to play for the club with which they had signed in the summer and made a combined total of 32 appearances.
It has not been a quiet Christmas period in Barcelona. On New Year’s Eve, with 2025 just around the corner, there was also uncertainty as to what would happen to these two players. The deadline to gather the documentation and money needed to register them was approaching, but Barcelona showed no signs of having the situation under control.
The league said that without payment it may not put the documents in order. Barcelona had pursued his characteristics through legal channels, twice seeking a court order to allow him to continue gambling while the matter was resolved, however, the club’s proposals were rejected.
Barca then thought to promote VIP seats at their Camp Nou stadium, which is still being renovated, to raise the challenge of charges and save them, however, the cash in question did not arrive in time and Olmo and Victor were described. While the club continued to review the scenario five days later, still hoping to be able to sign in them through the RFEF, the framework said no on Saturday. Barcelona is now contemplating filing a complaint with the Spanish government.
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“We are a little worried because they are two very important players for us. The club says they will solve the problem and that we expect,” the Araujo defense told journalists after Barbastro’s game. “It’s a complicated question for our classmates. “
The Olmo / Victor Affair is the most sensible of this series of bad effects in the League, which contrasts with intelligent performances in the Champions League, where Barcelona is the moment in the league phase table in 36 groups with two days of adjustment for beach ray
Their last game of 2024 ended with a painful defeat against Atletico Madrid as the “s**t November” that Flick bemoaned in a press conference lasted until the end of the following month.
The day they returned to action after two weeks of winter vacation with their intellectual and physical batteries recharged, they had to face an eighth final against a team that, even if it is in the fourth division, was super motivated to face its idols. , and that does not end well for the interests of the giant team involved.
However, Barcelona showed a concentration and seriousness befitting of what was asked of them, but unbecoming of the turbulent moment this squad are going through.
Barca were dominant, gave no concessions to their lower-league hosts, were eager to attack, and pressed high after losing the ball. They played without pure wingers but still found depth down the flanks thanks to Martin while Torre was mentally agile and helped the ball circulation to be quicker.
Garcia scored the first in the 21st minute, Lewandowski continued with a double and in the 57th minute, Torre took advantage of an error of Barbastro’s defense to end the lace and interest of the local team in the last break. hour.
It had been 181 days since Araujo, one of Barcelona’s captains, last played due to a hamstring injury suffered in the Copa America with Uruguay. Arriving amid rumors that the club was looking to sell him to make cash to solve some of their problems. High-profile monetary problems, news of its long-term loss brought everything to a halt.
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The 25-year-old has been indispensable for Barcelona in recent seasons; A difficult central defender who was even the antidote for Vinicius Junior opposed Real Madrid, capable of nullifying him absolutely in several games. However, the strong starts to the season of Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi made us wonder which role Araujo would return to and, more importantly, which of the 3 were left out of the starting line-up.
Cubarsi was first resting on the bench against Barbastro and Flick tried some central defenders. Martinez started alongside Araujo, then Flick replaced the 33-year-old Basque and brought on the teenager Cubarsi during the last part of the hour.
Araujo returned with style, the whole game.
“I did not think it would play the 90 minutes, however, the coach asked me how I and I felt good,” said the Uruguayan. “I am satisfied to play again after so long.
“I have to show my football. I have nothing to reveal to anyone. I won where I am: to be one of the 4 captains of FC Barcelona and voila. I’m not in a hurry. I need to feel good.
Barcelona do not need a player on the way to finishing his contract in the summer of 2026 to start next season with them. Araujo is one of those who digs himself into this situation. However, when asked how the renewal negotiations were going, he did not have an answer.
“We are talking to the club,” Araujo said. “We hope it can be resolved, but I’m focused on playing again and getting minutes. Let’s see how it goes.”
Szczesny played his first game after signing in Barcelona 3 months ago. They launched the 34 -year -old retirement player he had announced this summer to give him a last possibility in higher level football, thus strengthening the service of his guards after Marc -Aré Ter Stegen’s long -term injury, the general breakup of The right -wing right -wing right knee that suffered opposite to Villarreal in September.
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Although the club initially told him that Szczesny was coming to play, Inaki Pena started to put in some good performances and Flick ended up putting his faith in the 25-year-old. The result? Maybe not what the Pole expected, but he got his first chance last night.
His beginnings were calm. Szczesny had barely had to worry because Barbastro attacked slightly (an objective shot, 25% possession), however, it is the right guy starting his career in Barça.
Another dejector was Fernández. Unlike the experienced Szczesny, he became the second youngest player in the club’s history at 16 years, five months and 17 days, Lamine Yamal. He only played the last nine minutes, but he did enough to become him. He deserved his chance. He took set pieces and added a corner that almost helped Garcia score what would have been his second goal of the game.
Fernandez, who returned from a right-ankle sprain injury that had kept him off the pitch since mid-October, was in the squad for the pre-season tour of the United States last summer, and club sources say he impressed Flick.
“Toni Fernandez truly is a great talent and he showed no fear,” the German coach said after the match.
Wednesday, January 8: Athletic Club, semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup (in Riad, Saudi Arabia), 19:00 GMT, 14:00 East Time
(Top photo: Pedro Salado/Getty Images)