Barcelona: Title at risk? Signings, Camp Nou and Ter Stegen, keys.

Barcelona’s Controlled Chaos: Favorites Despite Everything?

Is Barcelona the only club capable of generating an atmosphere of uncertainty and conflict, and yet still be considered a favorite to win multiple domestic titles? The answer seems to be affirmative.

Despite the potential benefits of signing players like Marcus Rashford, Joan García, and Roony Bardghji, it is crucial to examine the problems the club seems to be trying to hide.

The Nico Williams Case and Financial Concerns

Let’s remember the incident with Nico Williams. The signing of the Spanish winger fell through due to his agent’s demand to guarantee his registration as a Barcelona player on a specific date. This requirement arose after observing Joan Laporta’s board’s management of Dani Olmo’s registration the previous season. The central problem, as in the previous year, lies in the club’s finances. Although Barcelona’s accountants claim to have complied with LaLiga’s strict Financial Fair Play regulations, the latter seems to have a different opinion. In visual terms: Barça shows confidence in public, but in private the situation is more delicate, while LaLiga leaders express skepticism. A few days before the start of the season, Hansi Flick’s new signings, including Wojciech Szczęsny and Gerard Martín, are still not eligible to play. Although they have been hired, they do not have the LaLiga certification that allows them to participate. If this confirmation is not obtained before the end of the transfer market, the players could be ineligible until January, which is unlikely, but possible.

The Camp Nou: Delays and Challenges

The club has repeatedly announced and postponed its return to Camp Nou for over a year. Despite having predicted celebrating its 125th anniversary in the renovated stadium, the Gamper friendly tournament will be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, with a capacity of 5,000 spectators, instead of Camp Nou.

The renovated stadium promises to be extraordinary. However, the initial plan to play there with a maximum capacity of 30,000 spectators (less than at its temporary home, the Montjuïc Stadium) would not be optimal for the fans or the players, and would not generate the desired hostile atmosphere for visiting teams. The uncertainty about the opening date of Camp Nou is another problem. The club has requested to play the first league matches away from home to complete the safety certifications, but faces a greater challenge: the start of the UEFA Champions League in mid-September, coinciding with the first home league match against Valencia. If the Camp Nou is not ready, Barcelona could be forced to play all their Champions League matches in another stadium until January, according to UEFA rules.

What we are clear about is that we will return to Camp Nou. We should not set a date, because that adds pressure. Building a stadium of this magnitude is colossal, but it had to be done.
We have to guarantee the safety of the people who attend. Until we have the appropriate certification, we will not return to Camp Nou. We are going as fast as possible, because the club needs it, both in sports, so that the team can play at home, and economically.

Joan Soler, director of Barcelona

The club has requested to play the first Champions League match away from home.

Ter Stegen and Flick: A Deteriorating Relationship

The relationship between Barcelona and its goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen seems tense. Ter Stegen’s behavior at the end of last season angered Flick, who changed his attitude towards the captain. García seems to be the first choice for the goal, Szczęsny has renewed his contract and Ter Stegen has been urged to look for a new club.

The club is looking to get rid of Ter Stegen to reduce the wage bill and be able to register Rashford, García, and Bardghji. However, Ter Stegen, with a lucrative contract and three years remaining, is reluctant and upset by the treatment he has received. Furthermore, the German coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has made it clear that Ter Stegen, if he is in shape and plays regularly, will be the starting goalkeeper for the German national team in the FIFA World Cup. Ter Stegen underwent back surgery and now there is debate over whether his recovery will last three, four or five months. A meeting this week will decide if the player will be out until January. The club could use Ter Stegen’s absence to obtain a financial waiver from LaLiga and comply with the Financial Fair Play criteria, something that was already done to register Olmo and Pau Víctor. If they don’t succeed and can’t use Ter Stegen’s absence to modify their financial situation, the treatment of the player could be counterproductive.

We are making adequate progress in the registration of the new players, we are convinced that we will achieve it. Using the absence of Ter Stegen to negotiate with LaLiga so that we can register Joan García is not the only way, it is the most direct.

Joan Laporta

Despite these challenges, Barcelona remains a strong contender to win LaLiga, even against competition from Real Madrid.