Wasn’t this always the ultimate goal? Barcelona are one of a handful of clubs worldwide that requires a trophy every year. Perhaps only La Liga rivals Real Madrid are more demanding of success. Improvement, development, or any sense of rebuilding isn’t really enough for a fanbase, boardroom and club that has cultivated an environment in which success can only be measured in silverware and medals hung around players’ necks.
And when Xavi took over, in November 2021, the Blaugrana looked as far away from a trophy as they had been in years. This was a faltering squad, getting old in key positions, reeling from the loss of Lionel Messi, and lacking the kind of mentality that is so crucial to winning the big prizes.
This change, of course, did not happen immediately. Barca were underwhelming for most of Xavi’s first nine months at the helm. He was close to being sacked twice, while losses in the Europa League, domestic underperformance, and a thorough beating in the Spanish Super Cup final did little to reassure fans that Barca were back.
But a battering of Madrid in El Clasico in March 2022 showed something might be brewing. And by August of that year, Barca had assembled a squad good enough to compete with Los Blancos. Their title-winning side of 2022-23 wasn’t a pretty one, but the defence was good enough to simply outlast most of La Liga.
This winning by attrition didn’t keep all the fans happy, but at the end of it all, Barca lifted the Spanish title for the first time in three years. Job done.