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5 reasons why Barcelona will win the Champions League

By Harry De Cosemo

Champions League trophy, Coupe des clubs Champions Europeeens during the UEFA Champions League final match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on May 28, 2016 at the Giuseppe Meazza San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Champions League trophy, Coupe des clubs Champions Europeeens during the UEFA Champions League final match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on May 28, 2016 at the Giuseppe Meazza San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy.(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images) /
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BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 19: Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City dribbles past Gerard Pique of Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 19: Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City dribbles past Gerard Pique of Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

3. Approaching transition

The flip side of this change is that Barcelona are leaving behind what made them great in the first place. Xavi Hernandez’s exit in 2015 signalled the very final stages of the era built purely on the ideology of the late, great Johan Cruyff, but the biggest shake up is yet to come.

Xavi’s exit followed Carles Puyol’s retirement, and other lynchpins of that team, including Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi, are approaching the age where they may have to think seriously about their long-term futures, while Andres Iniesta, at 32, is already there.

In previous years, the conveyor belt of talent produced by La Masia, the club’s youth academy, has been of reassurance, but the quality coming through isn’t of standard, meaning the club is turning to the transfer market to maintain the competitiveness in the first team.

Until now, that has worked, but it can only go on for so long. As mentioned in the last article, Luis Enrique’s contract comes to an end when this season does and there are no certainties that he will stay on again, as he did at the end of his first season in charge.

Reports suggest the club are keen to keep him, but he may see now as the perfect time to leave, with a sizeable job possibly on the horizon to maintain this dominance.

Because of that, the Blaugrana could have more hunger for more trophies this season, with doubts over how they will fare in years to come.

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