Following Barcelona, you get used to the constant chaos that surrounds them at an institutional level. For years, they have seemed to improvise in getting key decisions done only at the last minute, and this has led to a lot of uncertainty.
But on a football level at least, the team’s trip to the United States this summer has been a time to try to bring calm to the club.
From the first days Barcelona came out here, and the positive takeaways from their opening 2-2 draw with Manchester City, it was clear that something had changed. When Barca were training at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, The Athletic got to see closer details first-hand.
Some sessions were opened up to the media (amid tighter security than is usual, as you might imagine at a military base) and in the stunning light of that evening’s golden hour (it was close to 7pm) we watched on from makeshift stands, a vantage point that also caught sailboats passing up the Severn River just beyond the pitch.
As Barca’s players slowly emerged, it was easy to spot that the coaching staff had multiplied since last term. Each member had several players in their charge and you could see how attentive they were during what looked like a very well-organised session, with everyone enjoying themselves and working hard. All this took place under the watchful eye of Hansi Flick, who seemed very close to the group, especially its younger members.
City boss Pep Guardiola and Flick before their teams’ friendly (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
After the 2-2 draw (with victory on penalties) against Manchester City came the 2-1 win over Real Madrid. You could sense the satisfaction of the Barca press — and parts of the club itself — at these early results, possibly because it had been a long time since the team had seemed so cohesive and with such a clear idea of how to play.
That reflects something cultural about the passion that surrounds Barca — and its infamous ‘entorno’ which can go from emphatically idolising the club to significantly weakening it through its toxicity.
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Flick has seemed to realise since arriving at Barca that the players have felt a lot of pressure. For the German coach, who has experienced difficult moments in recent stages of his own career (he was sacked as Germany boss last year), his job has always made the most sense if he and those around him enjoy themselves and have a good time. That is what he has tried to pass on to his new charges, say sources in the Barca dressing room — who, like all those cited here, preferred to speak anonymously to protect their position.
During these easier pre-season days, that calm attitude is certainly something you could observe from the German, and it does seem to have begun to rub off on others. The new season will bring new challenges, but it suits the team very well and contrasts with the mood that surrounds Barca in other respects.
‘Baby Barca’ get their chance
The group that made up this pre-season tour has in some quarters been labelled ‘Baby Barca’ for its high number of youth players. With a selection of senior players injured, some resting after Euro 2024 and others playing for Spain at the Olympics, a high number of inexperienced youngsters travelled in their place.
Several of them showcased impressive talent, but each at least brought freshness and energy — something that was much-needed after a traumatic end to last season that culminated in the sacking of club legend Xavi as manager.
“The key to the success of our generation is that we enjoy playing football,” midfielder Marc Casado, 20, told the press on one of the media days.
Some might expect that to be a given, but at Barca things have not been quite so simple. Their smiles and flashes of motivation altered the atmosphere. Their discourse has been different, their attitude refreshing as well as surprisingly mature, and confident in the face of scrutiny.
Victor scored three goals in three games on tour with Barca (Charly Triballau/AFP via Getty Images)
All of the young players on tour worked hard to get a chance to show what they can do. They are all aware that Barca’s situation favours them, not just during pre-season but potentially across the rest of the campaign. Without funds to bring in several new signings (though Dani Olmo is set to join), Flick will have to bet on a few of them at least.
Thankfully, all this coincides with one of the most talented generations that La Masia has produced in recent years.
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Three names have stood out above the rest — and each stands a good chance of being involved further once the new season begins.
First is the pair of pivots Marc Bernal, 17, and Casado. Both have impressed in the context of Barca’s longer-term struggles to find an adequate replacement for Sergio Busquets. Casado was one of Flick’s most used players and Bernal looks to have a really bright future.
The other is 22-year-old forward Pau Victor.
“We need goals,” said Joan Laporta in interviews this summer. Victor, top scorer in Spain’s third tier on loan with Barca Atletic (the club’s reserve team) last season, decided to take up the chance.
With Lewandowski and Vitor Roque on the pitch, he showed that the club does not need to spend big money to find a player to score goals. Victor’s signing was secured earlier this summer in a €3million (£2.6m, $3.3m) deal with Girona. He performed better than both of Barca’s other options in attack in the first two games and travels back home with a return of three goals and an assist in three games.
Then there was the weather…
In Florida and New Jersey, the skies can change in a matter of minutes. One moment it’s a bright blue picture, the next it’s falling in.
The weather was one of the big protagonists of Barca’s tour. Their first two games were delayed by more than an hour due to thunderstorms. Probably the worst was the meeting with Madrid.
That game had to be stopped in the 12th minute for an hour and a quarter. At times, it looked like it was not going to continue. The pitch at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey, however, was prepared to drain perfectly all the water that fell mercilessly. There was not a puddle to be seen.
Barca’s friendly with Real Madrid was stopped because of a thunderstorm (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The protocol in these cases is as follows: in order for the game to be played, no lightning must have struck in the last half hour within a radius of eight miles.
Neither Barca nor Real Madrid were going to be paid their agreed match fees if they did not play at least 60 minutes, as several club sources confirmed to The Athletic. That is why there was so much patience for the game to be resumed.
Any other outcome would not have been ideal for Barca especially, as this tour was designed to play a role in improving their financial outlook. But in that regard, it did feel like there were some missed opportunities elsewhere.
Barca x U.S – the wins and losses
Barca were warmly welcomed by fans everywhere they went, even after arriving on U.S. soil in Orlando at 11pm local time back in late July.
Flick was especially attentive to fans, regularly signing autographs and taking photos with those who asked. So were other players such as Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Ilkay Gundogan. But the club had suggested before the trip that this tour was going to be lighter on commercial or institutional events. There were some, especially in New York, but the focus was on training and playing.
As it was, Barca’s opponents tended to receive a more positive reaction from supporters. City’s and Madrid’s fans outnumbered those cheering Barca, who were only in the majority in the final match against Milan in Baltimore.
𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
🔥 Barça 2-2 Milan
⚽ Lewandowski x2 pic.twitter.com/B8RZfBhMl7— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) August 7, 2024
It also felt like those teams were ahead of the game in other respects at times. City opened their last training session before playing Barca to the public and more than 8,000 people were watching, each paying around $20.
Before that game, there was a press conference in which Guardiola spoke, while Barca only had a short media day with Lewandowski. AC Milan, meanwhile, presented their new shirt at Brooklyn Bridge and organised a meet and greet with locals.
Barca expect to make about €8million in profit from this tour. But if there is a feeling that they might have better capitalised on the club’s brand, it should also be accepted that there were positives too in going to smaller cities such as Annapolis and the calm that helped foster.
(Top photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
