The spine of Xavi's Barcelona team is now the future and the present
The side that beat Real Madrid on Sunday was packed with youngsters
Barcelona's present and future belongs to the young. In the final of the Spanish Supercopa against Real Madrid on Sunday, that maxim went from being a theory to a reality. Because despite these players having already shown a high level throughout this first half of the season, it is in the big games that they must receive their doctorate. And Xavi won his first trophy as Barça coach with an average starting XI of 25.2 years.
The Barca coach did not fear putting the kids in. Neither the context nor the rival made him change his mind. A starting XI with three veterans (Lewandowski, Busquets and Ter Stegen), three consolidated youngsters (Frenkie de Jong, Christensen and Dembélé) and five footballers between 18 and 24 years old (Araujo, Koundé, Pedri, Balde and Gavi). Experience and freshness, calmness and fight. It was the key to the success for a Barça side that astonished the world with a recital and the first trophy, perhaps, of a new era.
Character, personality and fight
This is the way to go. The project for which so much work has been done and that has to be built around Araujo, Koundé, Pedri, Balde and Gavi, who are already established starters and Ansu Fati (20), Ferran Torres (22), Eric Garcia (22) and Pablo Torre (19) -- in addition to the goalkeepers Iñaki Peña (23) and Arnau Tenas (21) -- who also have roles to play.
Araujo has been in the first team for two seasons now and has become one of its leaders. Koundé arrived in the summer and has shown a great level both as a centre-back and as a full-back, also becoming a key player for the Barça coach. Pedri and Gavi, exploding onto the scene, have formed an exciting duo that, without wanting to make comparisons, is inevitably reminiscent of the one formed by Xavi and Iniesta in their golden age. And Balde has prevailed in a fight with two veterans in Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso to occupy the left side.
And all of them can mark an era over the next 10 years at FC Barcelona. Because they are the backbone of the present and also of the future.
