While Barca’s progress in the domestic league has been interesting, they have yet to be competitive in Europe again. After failing to get past the group stage in consecutive years, Xavi aims his side challenges for the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2023-24.

The front office has been doing everything it could to help the manager, having pulled off a number of signings to upgrade his squad. Recently, the Catalan side confirmed the return of an academy product.

Barcelona bring back academy graduate Oriol Romeu

On Wednesday, Barcelona announced the signing of Oriol Romeu, who was part of the La Masia program from 2004 to 2011, when he was sold to Chelsea. After many years abroad, the Spanish midfielder is returning home.

The 31-year-old signed a contract until June 2026 and will have a €400 million release clause. Now, Romeu is back as an experienced player who could fill in a huge vacancy left by Sergio Busquets, who joined Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

Romeu became Barca’s third signing this summer, joining the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Iñigo Martinez as the new faces in Xavi’s squad for the 2023-24 campaign.

Therefore, the summer transfer window will be crucial. Bringing back Lionel Messi is no longer a possibility, but the board still have plenty of time to figure out how to pull off other signings.

Besides, there are some holes to fill in. With Sergio Busquets gone, many wonder how Barça are going to replace him. However, Laporta warned not to have ‘unrealistic’ expectations, suggesting Xavi already knows he has to adapt to this situation.

Joan Laporta warns Xavi to use academy players

“Xavi understands our situation. He knows that some options are unrealistic and it would be wrong to sign one of them. It would cut the progression of Marc Casadó, Pau Prim, Gerard Hernández and Marc Bernal. First we have to look at what we have,” Laporta said, via BarçaTimes.

Barcelona’s financial situation is still far from great, even if they managed to solve many of their problems. LaLiga has approved a viability plan that allows Barça to land new players but not at any cost.

Ilkay Gundogan has already agreed to join Xavi’s squad after years under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. In the next few weeks, we’ll get to know which other players join the Catalan club.

The former midfielder shone under the current Man City boss, from whom he inspired to build his own managerial career. Xavi is just getting started, but Pep’s influence can already be seen.

Not only is he following in his mentor’s footsteps by trying to get Barça back on their feet, but Xavi’s style of play is also aligned with Guardiola’s principles. On top of that, he reportedly wants to lure one of Guardiola’s best players at City.

Report: Xavi wants to bring Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona

According to Sport, Xavi Hernandez is keen on adding Ilkay Gundogan to his Barcelona squad. The 32-year-old is out of contract this summer, and after winning the Champions League, many expect him to leave Manchester.

Gundogan has been at the Etihad since 2016, which is why this could be the best moment to say goodbye. Besides, Barça reportedly offer him a three-year deal, which speaks volumes about their interest in the midfielder despite his age.

The Germany international, however, would not be lacking in suitors this summer. Not only do City want him back for at least another year, but Arsenal and Saudi clubs are also said to be interested.

Many things have contributed to the Blaugrana’ssuccess, including their excellent academy program, dedicated fan base, fresh approach to the game, and stellar roster of superstars.These players will go down in football lore as some of the bestever thanks to their extraordinary skill, leadership, and charisma.

With so many legendary players having worn the Barcajersey, picking an all-time greatest XI is no easy feat. As a result, supporters have usedChatGPTto assemble a squad thatwould representeverything that makes the Spanish club so special.

What is Barcelona’sbest XI of all timeaccording toChatGPT?

The renowned Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been selected to startbetween thesticks, as perTwitter account total Barça.Carles Puyol, Ronald Koeman, Gerard Pique, and Migueli, all of whom are now retired, make up the back four.

Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, and Johan Cruyff—three of the Blaugrana’s all-time finest players—form a formidable trio in the middle of the field.Modern club hero Lionel Messishares the starting lineup with the late Laszlo Kubala. An intriguing selection is Ronaldo Nazario, whoseadventurein Catalonia lasted all of one season (1996–1997).

Having played for Real Madrid for a total of five seasons at Santiago Bernabeu, he is widely regarded as a Los Blancos legend, rather than a Barcelona great. Either one ofRonaldinho, Neymar, or Luis Suarezcould have perhapsbeen a better option.Dani Alves,Rafael Marquez,Rivaldo,Romario,Sergio Busquets,and many more are just a few of the greats that weren’t included.

Only threeof Barca’s 32games have ended in defeat, and they have allowed just 11 goals all season, whichis 19 less than second-placed Real Madrid.With eight games remaining, the Camp Nou outfit currently has an 11-point lead over their arch-rivals in the standings.

The Blaugrana are very close to capturing the 2022-23 Spanish league championship despite having another dismal season in European tournaments. No doubt some calculations are being made in theirlocker room, despite manager Xavi Hernandez‘s reluctance to overstate his team’s chances.

How many wins do Barcelona need to officially become 2022-23 La Liga winners?

If Barcelona wintheir next match against Osasuna on May 2, they will have clinched the championship mathematically. This would need Barcelona to triumph in their next matchups against Rayo Vallecano, Real Betis, and Osasuna, while also needing Real Madrid to lose their next two games by a total of four points.

If Barcelona were to win their next five matches by a combined score of 16 points, Los Blancos would have no chance of catching up to them in the standings. Meanwhile, assuming both teams maintain their current winning streaks through the rest of the season, Barcelona would clinch the title at home against Real Sociedad on May 21.

Xavi’s players would need 90 points to ensure themselves the championship, while Carlo Ancelotti‘s side may finish with a maximum of 89 points if they win all of their games. An interesting fact is that since Barcelona’s 2017-18 season, no team has scored 90 points in a season.

In the 83rd minute of the Blaugrana’s 4-0 hammering of Real Betis, the 15-year-old finally made his league debut for the Catalans.Yamal had a dynamic performance, with 12 total touches and a goal-scoring attempt. It had been a week since he had made his debut with Xavi’s matchday squad.

The explosive winger is only the most recent in a long line of potential prospects to emerge from Barca’s renowned La Masia program. After Xavi Hernandez brought the teenager to the first team for training in September of last year, the club quickly promoted him from the B team.

What did Xavi Hernandez say aboutLamine Yamal?

It is hardly surprising that Yamal, a gifted inside striker with a great left foot, has drawn unflattering comparisons to Lionel Messi based on his accomplishments at the junior level. There is no greater compliment than being compared to the seven-time Ballon d’Or, as everyone is aware.

The Argentine superstar established his reputation at Barcelona when he was only a kid, therefore he will always be a fan favorite there.When questioned whether he thought the teenager was as good as the iconic 2022 World Cup winner, Barca boss Xavi stood by his assessment that the 15-year-old might usher in a new era for the club.

“I told him to try things and he did. At 15 years old, just imagine it… He is special and he could have even scored tonight, but Rui Silva saved. He played with confidence and he showed what he is about. He has no fear and bags of talent. Some of his passes in the final third were really good.Lamine Yamal is a similar player to Messi. He can mark an era at Barcelona”, he told the media after the game.

Now, he’s the face of an FC Barcelona team that is getting back on its feet. Therefore, he’s one of the most prominent voices in world soccer. Whenever Xavi talks, he makes headlines.

He’s also someone who’s not afraid to speak his mind, which explains why the media follows him so much. Xavi recently had an interesting take, as he claimed that the best goalkeeper in the world is Marc-André ter Stegen.

Xavi believes ter Stegen is the best goalkeeper on Earth

“I know ter Stegen’s personality because I played with him. He’s a very methodical person and right now, he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. He helps us even more because of our way of playing,“ Xavi said, via Barca Universal.

Of course, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he praises one of his own players. At the end of the day, Xavi has to give his team confidence and claiming there’s no one better than terStegen should give his keeper a huge boost.

That said, many will probably disagree with his take. Thibaut Courtois is widely regarded as the best at his position, though it makes sense that Xavi doesn’t put a Real Madrid player above the rest. Emiliano Martinez also made a lot of admirers, especially in the last World Cup, but he may need to make a moveto win that reputation.

However, ter Stegen has certainly made a case to be considered among the world’s best goalkeepers, and he’s been a wall this season. In fact, he already has 23 clean sheets this season and is just two away from breaking Petr Cech’s record (24) for the most clean sheets in a single season in thetop fiveleagues in Europe this century.

Xavi Hernandez started to right the ship at the Camp Nou last year, but the team still had work to do before it could really take off like it did in the current campaign. Right now, Barça are atop the league standings 11 points clear of Real Madrid with only eight games to go.

While they still have to get the job done, the club would also be thinking about the upcoming transfer window to make even more progress next year. According to reports, Xavi has a former Barcelona striker as a priority target.

Barcelona reportedly see Aubameyang as primary transfer target

According to Sky Sports, Barcelona have made Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang their priority striker target for next season. The Gabonese star had a short but great stint at Barca in the second half of last season, recording 13 goals in 24 games.

Aubameyang had arrived in Barcelona as a free agent from Arsenal in the winter of 2022, but was sold to Chelsea only six months later as the Cules needed to free up space for their summer signings.

However, Auba quickly fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, making just 20 appearances this season. Even though he’s under contract with the Blues until 2024, the club will probably let him go at the end of the season.

Barça have a great memory of Auba, so they’d like to bring him back as a substitute of Robert Lewandowski. The other names on their shortlist reportedly are Roberto Firmino, who will not renew his contract with Liverpool, and Vitor Roque, an 18-year-old prospect of Athletico Paranaense.

After that last game at Getafe, Xavi complained about the kick-off time and the field conditions. “We’re more used to play without sun. I don’t want to sound like I’m making an excuse, but we’re used to play at night. That’s an evidence. We were uncomfortable. The conditions of the pitch haven’t helped us. Yesterday, we trained with a dry field.”

This week, prior to the blockbuster matchup against Atletico Madrid which might end the race for the title in La Liga, Xavi defended his opinion about the sun. We’re not kidding. As a result, social media responded with another massive wave of memes.

Xavi blames the sun and goes against memes

This Sunday, Barcelona are scheduled to play Atletico Madrid at 4:15 PM (local time). Of course, after what happened at Getafe, the big question for Xavi was about the sun being a possible factor during the match in Camp Nou and if he was surprised by the reactions on social media.

“I’m criticized for everything. So, it doesn’t bother me at all. I know where I am. From that point, what do you wanna know? Does the sun bother me? Yes. I’m not going to change my opinion, even with all the memes they make about me.”

Xavi also made clear that he doesn’t care about other people’s opinionregarding what he thinks of the sun or the grass. “Sun bothers us. The dry field doesn’t benefit us. It also doesn’t benefit the spectacle or Getafe. I’m not going to stop untilthere’s a regulation (grass level).”

The coach of Barcelona used other sports as examples. “In all sports there are rules on the surface. Why not in soccer? I’m not going to be silenced. In golf, if the grass is not ok, they don’t play. In tennis, if it rains, play is stopped. If the floor is wet when LeBron James shoots, they mop. The surface is essential. If we want spectacle, let’s take care of the surface.”

“The match schedule? We’re used to playing without the sun, to playing at night,” Xavi said. “But we have to get used to it, next Sunday we will play again at this time, I don’t want it to sound like an excuse but we have to adapt.”

Only a day later, Carlo Ancelotti was asked about Xavi’s comments in his pre-game conference ahead of the Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Chelsea. Here’s what he had to say.

Ancelotti says the sun is not an excuse

“For us, the most important thing is to play football,” Ancelotti said. “I honestly believe that there are teams that are more used to playing in the afternoon than at night, but there’s a calendar that demands you to play at different times. You always have to be prepared”.

While it wasn’t exactly a jab at the Barcelona coach, Carletto did make it clear he would never complain about the sun. And he has a point, professional teams have to adapt to play at different times of the day.

Then last week a damning report came out that the Mexican defender was having issues adapting to the Barcelona philosophy and had issues with his tactical awareness.

Now in a press conference Barcelona boss Xavi has come out and poured cold water on those reports, praising the Mexican star, and having him in his plans for next season.

Xavi on Julián Araujo

Xavi stated, “Julián Araujo is adapting very well. From next year, he can help us out a lot. I’m sure he’s going to be a good option for us… He is strong, powerful, positive, and has a very good shot from distance.”

The rise of Julián Araujo came in Major League Soccer from 2019-2022 the young star played in over 100 games for the ailing L.A. squad and after playing most of his youth career with the USMNT, Julián Araujo eventually decided to join El Tri and has been capped 5 times since making his one-time switch.