Yes, yes, of course, this has to be a year of transition

At last, one piece of good news: 2020, aptly labelled by Messi as a “shit year”, is finally over. The worst pandemic in history, which has devastated lives and economies around the world, has also destroyed Barça, which right now is reflected in its sporting, institutional and mental confusion. Halfway between two probably opposite boards, and between two generations of footballers who have been together for almost fifteen years, with weak governance, an economy in a critical situation, and without us knowing whether or not the player-franchise that has sustained the club will continue beyond the summer. With all these conditions, well, of course it is a year of transition! How could it not be if the coach, half the squad and all the executives almost without exception do not know what their life will be like in under thirty days. With the perfect storm that falls right now on Barça, pretending that you can choose to win all the competitions as if nothing happened here is an illusion that can only generate frustration. Let's be disappointed now: Barça has been saying goodbye to La Liga for weeks and only a miracle that is now impossible to foresee would place it among the four best teams on the continent. But, be careful, a transition year does not mean throwing everything away, or lowering your arms, as some heavyweights have done, or giving up taking responsibility, as Griezmann did when he did not take the penalty against Eibar.

Building a good transitional year is what Koeman is trying, when he bravely bets on Pedri, Ansu, Mingueza or Araujo, or leaves Busquets on the bench for two games. Because many of these decisions that the Blaugrana coach makes today will not bear fruit this season, but instead they can be crucial for the future. Football paradoxes: this is first year in a long time in which the coach does not make purely short-term decisions and in which the doors of the first team are finally opened to young footballers, as called for by popular acclaim, may prove a barren season. For all these reasons, the current year forces Barcelona to undertake an exercise of unprecedented maturity: accept that this year it is very difficult to win any great titles, in exchange for laying the foundations of a potentially glorious team. Because right now, and seeing what has been seen in the chaotic matches against Eibar and Valencia, you don't have to demand results but rather infinite dedication, plenty of hope and a lot of intelligence. Because the challenge for the club is to turn current penalties into an investment for the future. Pretending to aspire to everything can only serve to delay the start of another glorious cycle. It may sound harsh, but it's time to learn to lose, to win again.

MORE THAN A CLUB

Projects finally appear. The structural chart presented by Víctor Font, with Xavi as General Manager, can mark another before and after, as happened with Laporta before. The list of names Font provided (with the doubt of Jordi Cruyff, who distanced himself later in the day) comes on the same day that the Rousaud-Minguella ticket slipped out the name of Haaland and put the campaign on the field that the average fan wants. The time has come to contrast and compare projects.

LESS THAN A CLUB

The embarrassment of the pre-campaign period. Barça's electoral pre-campaign has become an auction of gifts (from pizzas to balls) and of personal self-promotion, in which serious projects worked on for a long time are matched with last minute freak improvisations. An even more demanding signature cut and a longer campaign would serve to minimize this show that many use only for their own benefit.

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