La Masia and the captaincy: the academy players' tight grip on the armband
Since Carles Puyol in 2004, all the Barça captains have come through La Masia
We all know Barcelona is more than a club and therefore, the Barça captain's armband is more than a captain's armband.
The colours of the 'Senyera' (Catalan flag) distinguish the player chosen by the squad to represent Barça on pitches all around the world, in competitive games and friendlies, in any competition and in any country.
The armband demands a level of commitment without limits, and that is why, since Carles Puyol became captain in the summer of 2004, the position has always been held by a player who has been formed in La Masia.
And it will continue to be that way, as Lionel Messi is set to inherit the armband from Andres Iniesta, who has been captain since Xavi Hernandez left the club in 2015.
The passing of powers will repeat the pattern of the last few years. 2004 was a turning point: that summer, the team's two captains, Luis Enrique and Cocu, left Barça and the squad chose its three captains. The chosen ones were, in this order, Carles Puyol, Ronaldinho and Xavi.
Then aged 26, Puyol inherited the armband which would make him into the best captain in Barça's history. He wore it for a decade until he retired in 2013/14.
Even though the dressing room hierarchy is set by the votes in pre-season, inevitably over a season the first captain does not always wear the armband in every game, sometimes playing fewer games than the second or third captain.
It happened in Puyol's last season (he was captain in 12 games while Xavi was for 36) and in Xavi's last season, when he wore the armband 21 times and Iniesta wore it 32 times. And it happened last year, when Messi was captain for 26 games, one more than Iniesta.
