Confirmed: Claudio Bravo To Start The Season As FC Barcelona's Number One
David Ramos
As a consequence of Marc-Andre ter
Stegen's fractured back, Chilean shot-stopper Claudio Bravo is set to
start season as FC Barcelona's number one. Does the Chilean have what it
takes to establish himself as Barca's undisputed number one in ter
Stegen's absence?
Well,
it’s confirmed; despite a high-profile error in his first and thus far
only appearance for FC Barcelona, Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo will
start the season as Barça’s number one as the club today confirmed that
fellow summer signing Marc-André ter Stegen faces 2-3 weeks on the sidelines
with a fractured back. Thankfully, the fracture is only minor and
therefore will not keep ter Stegen on the treatment table for long – but
with this golden opportunity for Bravo, he may find that by the time he
recovers, the damage may have already been done.
While
Bravo faced a lot of criticism for his mistake against Napoli, the
Chilean was having a good match up until that point – and thanks to his
years of experience, both in general and in La Liga, Bravo may only a
few matches to establish himself as Barça’s undisputed number one.
Certainly, from a neutral perspective, one would argue that Bravo is the
better suited of the Blaugrana’s summer signings to start between the
sticks.
Technically
adept, a superb passer of the ball and above all an instinctive
shot-stopper, Bravo will provide leadership that may otherwise be
desperately lacking from the Barcelona backline and while he will be
disappointed to have been handed the starting berth as a result of his
"rival’s" injury, he will be intent to prove that he deserves this role
after a number of impressive seasons for Real Sociedad.
What
do we think Culés? Is Claudio Bravo the right man to start in goal next
weekend against Elche, and do you think he has what it takes to
establish himself as Barça’s number one in ter Stegen’s absence?
Report: FC Barcelona's Interest In Brazilian Full-Back Confirmed
Forget Juan Cuadrado and Lukasz
Piszczek, the latest rumours surround FC Barcelona's interest in Sao
Paulo full-back Douglas, which has been reportedly confirmed in the past
24 hours by Sao Paulo's president, Carlos Miguel Aidar
Juan Cuadrado.
Lukasz Piszczek. Even Kyle Walker. It seems as though every single
right-back in world football has been linked with a transfer to the Camp
Nou this summer and as sure as the sky is blue, another report has
surfaced in the past couple of days claiming to have identified FC Barcelona’s latest defensive target. His name? Douglas, a Brazilian – of course – who plies his trade for Sao Paulo.
However,
this report is different – this isn’t some tenuous link fabricated by
the Spanish media, or a story plucked from thin air by the English media
– this report has traction and credibility in the form of statements
from Sao Paulo’s president, Carlos Miguel Aidar. Speaking at the
unveiling of Sao Paulo’s latest signing, former Olympique Lyonnais
winger Michel Bastos, Aidar was pressed on Douglas’ future and confirmed that there was interest in the full-back from Catalunya.
Indeed,
Aidar is convinced that Barcelona has made preliminary contact with the
player himself with regards to a potential transfer and with Sao Paulo
ready to negotiate; the ball is in Andoni Zubizarreta’s court.
Naturally, there are obstacles, the first and foremost of which surrounds the future of Dani Alves. As we have noted on multiple occasions, Barça’s interest in procuring another full-back rests entirely upon the future of Dani Alves. It’s influenced our rather public pursuit of Juan Cuadrado, and it has hindered any move we may have been planning to make for Lukasz Piszczek, although there are question marks as to whether Alves’ future will hold similar sway with respect to this potential transfer.
At
the age of 24, Douglas is by no means the finished product, even if he
has considerable experience in Brazilian football and a season under the
tutelage of such an iconic figure as Alves may be the most prudent
approach for Luis Enrique and FC Barcelona. Given Martin Montoya’s
versatility, Douglas’ arrival may not necessarily impact the Catalan’s
game-time as much as some expected leaving one final, predictable,
hurdle: price.
Like
many others before him, Douglas isn’t actually owned by Sao Paulo; his
rights have been divvied up and auctioned off to various sports
investment groups in a similar arrangement to Neymar prior to his
arrival – and as we saw with the Brazilian boy wonder, or as perhaps
Manchester City have discovered with their signing of Eliaquim Mangala,
third party ownership can certainly inflate the final price-tag of a
player.
With
FC Barcelona, nothing is ever concrete. Despite Aidar’s comments, Barça
may not make a move for Douglas; for one reason or another, we may rule
out a move entirely, or perhaps our interest and the story is a mere
ploy, planted in the media to entice Fiorentina to lower their demands
for Cuadrado. Whatever the case, this is a story we will continue to
follow; keep an eye on our Transfer News Hub, and August Transfer Rumours Storystream for full coverage of Barça’s interest in Douglas and any developments in the Cuadrado saga.
Note: This article was written some
time ago to be published when Suarez’s signing was made public. Things
got in the way, and five weeks later our new number nine will soon be
presented in front of a full Camp Nou at the traditional Gamper’s
Trophy. What the hell, I might as well…
THE PRELUDE
Little more than nothing in this article
will not have been said already. As if you need reminding that Luis
Suarez, the man with the mind and teeth of a Tasmanian devil has
landed in Barcelona and will represent the club we love. Family man.
Despicable jerk. Great teammate. Selfish superstar. Winner at all costs.
Cheater with no shame. Worth 81 million euros. Not worthy of our shirt.
You’ve heard it all. He splits opinions like left wing politics. The
only clear consensus is that he’s a brilliant striker.
Even before he
arrived at our club, culers were divided. Of course, culers are always
divided, but not like this. Excited. Depressed. Proud. Embarassed.
Making accusations. Making up excuses. Supportive. Disgusted. Some of us
feel all these emotions, and more, at the same time. It’s only natural.
Most hearts have dynamic IP addresses and we’re still trying to find
out if what we purchased is the next best thing since Google Glasses or a
nasty virus that will cost us a lot to finally remove.
THE GOOD
For
his previous club, at least, Luis had a brilliant season. Not a lot of
people expected Liverpool to even make the Champions League, but with 31
goals and 12 assists, he led a young and exciting team to within a “we
will not let this slip” moment from the title.
He
can shoot with his left and his right and hit it with power or finesse.
He thinks quick and runs fast. He’s a good passer who involves his
teammates*, but he can take on his marker with guile and swagger. He’s
dangerous on the counter yet give him the ball in a small space and he
worms his way through defenders before they can say “cheater.” He’s a
hard worker who’s got “I want to win” etched in his heart.** A
lethal scorer, his goal repertoire is as colorful as a Brazilian
favela. Headers, lobs, tap-ins, 40-yard screamers, one-on-one finishes,
volleys, low hard drives, rounding the keeper, free kicks, from solo
runs and tight angles, penalties. You name it, he’s scored it. He’s a
complete striker, seemingly without weaknesses. Really, what’s not to
like?
THE GOOD… OR BAD?
On
paper, an attack featuring Leo, Ney and Lucho is salivating. F.C.
Barcelona might very well have found the third man of what would make
for the most naturally gifted front line to ever grace the fields. But
does the most gifted mean it will be the best? Let’s examine that for a
moment.
After Groningen, Ajax and Liverpool, this will be the first time in Europe that Luis Suarez
is not “the man.” Every club he has played for revolves around the
bucktoothed striker. Only for his country he played a comparitively
modest role next to Diego Forlán some years back, as they formed a
forward tandem that reached the semifinals at South Africa 2010. Of
course, a club as big as Barça will always look to add the best players,
whether from other clubs or from the Masía. It’s rare to represent the
club at its highest level without having been “the man” somewhere else.
But sometimes, too much can be too much.
Although
he won’t occupy the space Messi and Neymar love when they drop into the
midfield to assume playmaking roles, his natural game does demand
protagonism. He’s always been the focus point of his team, a player
who wants the ball – a lot. When we bought O Ney, Cruijff famously said
that you can’t have two captains on one ship. Getting the best out of
a Neymar and La Pulga combination is quite a challenge for the best of
coaches, so now we have three?
I
absolutely agree with the need for a striker, but would it not have
been better to get a slightly more modest talent, like Higuain or
Mandzukic, who would leave our two superstars with more space to run the
team, similar to how Karim Benzema is the perfect B to M*drid’s CC?
When Florentino Perez was adding a Galactico every year, did it not get
to the point that every summer move instilled laughter rather than fear
in the hearts of culers worldwide? Are we not making the same mistake
right now?
And
what about the overall balance of the squad? Will all three defend?
Will Suarez get frustrated when he sees Neymar and Messi defending less?
Will Neymar get frustrated with Messi, for that matter? Will Rakitic
succeed where Cesc has failed? Wouldn’t it have been better to spend at
least some of those 81 million euros – 81 million euros – on say, a
defender? Suarez might very well be a better player than Alexis, but
taking into account the amount of work the Chilean puts in and how well
he has finally adapted to playing on the wing, will he be worth having
sold Lexus for?
One
thing’s for sure, the purchase of Lucho raises a lot of questions. It
doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t any answers. Some culers, and
I count myself among them, have been making the argument for quite some
time that Messi should move to a playmaker role. If you put Suarez in
front of him, and heck, Pedro on the right, we’ll have, for the first
time since Eto’o left, two attackers who can make runs that invite
through balls, a characteristic which has been lacking in our squad for
some time now.
No
matter how you look at it, from a purely tactical point of view, this
monster move by the board represents a huge risk. But don’t worry. If it
works, the board is a genius for signing him. If it doesn’t, they’ll
blame Luis Enrique. Or Lionel Messi.
THE BAD
For
perhaps the first time in football history fans are unanimously
satisfied that their club sold its star player at the heights of his
powers. Think about that for a second. Luis had just come off of his
best season ever during which he was absolutely integral to his team’s
title run. He made the crowd oooh and aaah with his flair and
unpredictability. Liverpool hadn’t had a player like this since… Maybe
they’ve never had a player like this. He’s at his prime, at a moment
where if his club had continued building the team around him, who knows,
maybe they could actually win their first league title in over twenty
years. And yet, 99% of Liverpool fans were glad to see him go.
What does that tell us? I could just say “enough” and leave it that.
I
have to be honest. I find it incredibly hard to dislike Luis Suarez.
I’m talking about the person here, not the player. He has always come
across as likable in his interviews. He takes his job seriously and he
gives his 110%. There’s the fairy tale story of how he was motivated to
the core to play in Europe, which is normal for South American football
players, but with the twist that his main motivation was to be closer to
his girlfriend who left Uruguay for Barcelona when Luis was fifteen.
How can you not a story like that? Girls, say “aaaaaaw”. Funnily enough,
as despised a figure he has become, I think I would’t have disliked him
even if he had signed for M*drid.
It’s
tragic therefore that he betrays himself so often and that he always
ends up repeating the same mistakes. Just when the world falls in love
with him he’ll bite someone. Again. Or demand a transfer two weeks after
he declared his never-ending loyalty. It’s moments like these that make
you realize that the man is his own worst enemy. It makes you grunt,
scream, roll your eyes so far back your head hurts. And it makes the
press and a large contingent of (especially Anglo-Saxon) fans vilify the
man.
So
when he dives to get an advantage he is bashed over the head with the
proverbial sledgehammer – but when Stevie G. does it the public hear no
evil see no evil. When he batted the ball out of the goal mouth to deny
the first African semi-finalist ever fans call him a despicable cheat,
knowing (I suspect or I hope) full well that he did what every player
would have done in a similar situation, which is of course what every
fan would have want their player to do. Ooooh, they say, and he had the
gall to laugh when Ghana missed the resulting penalty and kept hope
against all hope of advancing alive.
Is
he the devil incarnate? I know I’d rather be bitten in my shoulder than
have my leg or back broken, but while people call him an animal and
inhuman and they mean it, too, in my view biting a man on a football
pitch is just weird. More than anything it’s plainly bizarre. A
four-month ban for club and country for an offense which Chiellini
probably didn’t even feel anymore the next day seems unjust to me. The
Italian defender himself said as much, and other players have gotten
away with a lot worse during this tournament, under the all-seeing eye
of the camera, no less.
You
can’t have a team of only nice guys, said Cruijff, who would know
because the Clockwork Orange of 1974 featured players who would saw off
an opponent’s kneecap for tugging at Johan’s shirt. Except Barça did
have a team of nice guys, and they were arguably the best team the world
has ever seen. They were the exception rather than the rule. I’m too
young to remember if there were many complaints amongst culers when
Hristo Stoichkov stomped on a referee’s foot shortly after arriving in
Catalunya. I definitely don’t want Suarez to gouge anyone’s eyes while
wearing our shirt.*** His hunger and aggression, however, if channeled
correctly, can prove a catalyst to bring back those intangibles our team
have lost. Likewise that same hunger and passion can see him banned for
life. Especially his hunger.****
THE UGLY
It’s
funny how we don’t pay much stock to the rumor mill. Every summer
another target, and every day new names find their way to the headlines
of SPORT and Mundo Deportivo. What’s even funnier is how from the first
day Luis Suarez graced the local covers, that sinking feeling started
surging, that “oooooowwww I know this ain’t no rumor” feeling.
Presidents come, presidents go, their strategy remains the same. “The
whole of Barcelona wants Luis Suarez” blurts SPORT. “Culers undivided in
their desire to see Luis in our colors” claims MD. Things of that
nature. *****
Try
as they may, culers I speak to in the city of Barcelona are not
convinced. Many say he’s not worth the risk. The smart ones – rare and
in between – wonder how Messi, Neymar and Suarez will play together. The
ones who love our club because the values they thought it represented
are disgusted. Of course many also think, as is inevitable, “what if it
works?” All in all, he might not be as disliked here as he is in
England, but culers are nowhere near as close to ecstatic as we are
being told that we are.
It’s
just another thread of the carpet of deception that’s been laid out in
front of us week in and week out. If the board wants to buy a player, by
all means buy him. If our new coach loves him, all the better. They
want to take that risk, then take the risk. Just don’t tell us it’s
what we all want. Don’t take us for the fools that only half of us are.
Is that too much to ask for?
FIVE WEEKS LATER
So now we’ve had a good five weeks to
get used to the idea that Luis Suarez is a Barça player. For many, the
original disgust has died down. I personally remain more disgusted with
MD and Sport for their “FIFA ban injustice” campaign than with the
original offense that caused it – not because I don’t think the ban is
injust, but because the fact that our board knew full well he was banned
before they packed a record amount of money in a record amount of
suitcases and sent them Merseyside. I still don’t see quite clearly how
our superstar frontline will work together, but that doesn’t mean I’m
not carefully optimistic. I know we’ll see some good football and,
although it would be presumptuous to count on anything, I hope we’ll
get to celebrate a trophy at the end of this season, too.
*
Ironically the season that finally saw him win the golden boot
coincided with the first season that he impressed for having left his
selfish play behind.
**
The facet of his game which epitomizes his will to win is the way he
dribbles. He’s not a close dribbler, like Neymar, Messi or Iniesta. Nor
does he blast by people like C. Ronaldo, Bale or Robben. No. When Luis
Suarez dribbles past his marker, the ball will hit his opponents legs
and sometimes even more than once. How does he still get past them? Call
me dirty, but I like this man’s intangibles…
***
The eye-gouging, to me, is a lot worse than biting and it amazes me
that it didn’t cause even a tenth of the uproar. I didn’t even know he
committed the act until the video went viral. Following the same train
of thought, a video surged of Jermaine Defoe biting another player. You
guessed it, he did not get banned seven games for his first offense.
Hypocrisy some? For sure. Not that it makes Luis look any better, though.
****
The more I hear and read about it, the more I think the ban is
disgraceful. FIFA actually had the police (!) come and get him from the
Uruguay training grounds. The idea of a player not being allowed to
train with his teammates or even enter a stadium is absurd, as is the
fact that they punish Liverpool for something their player did at a
tournament in which he didn’t represent their club. Never mind them,
they’re laughing their butts off for finding a suitor who coughed up
80M. They don’t have to worry about that nutcase anymore. His next
transgression, and there will be a next transgression, he’ll be lucky if
they allow him to play FIFA on his Playstation. Watch a game with his
father-in-law. Talk about football at the dinner table. Pass the ball
around in his backyard with his daughters. Walk on grass. He’ll be the
first ever football player to go into hiding. A pariah, playing illegal
pick-up games on the parking lot of a seedy bar at three in the morning
on a Saturday. It won’t be long before he undertakes extensive plastic
surgery and signs up for the Pyong Yang Red Stars. You heard it here
first.
*****
One of the most ridiculous “advantages” they keep writing is that
because of his wife and in-laws, Suarez will adapt to the city very
quickly. You know, because Barcelona is such a notoriously difficult
place to adapt to for professional footballers. And while I’m at it,
another disgrace is how Barto, Zubi, SPORT and MD are the only ones who
tried to sell us his (read: his lawyer’s) apology.
It's that time of the year again! With the first official game of the season only a week away, the Barcablog.com readers have spoken and chosen the players who, in their opinion, should make Luis Enrique's ideal eleven. Goalkeeper
Marc-Andre
ter Stegen is the preferred option under the posts with 83 percent of
the votes, well ahead of Claudio Bravo. The former Borussia
Monchengladbach goalkeeper has impressed during preseason by showing
remarkable reflexes when faced one-on-one, great positioning in set
pieces, and calmness when passing the ball on the floor. If the German
can recover on time from the back injury he suffered in training this
week, he should be manager Luis Enrique's preferred choice from the very
first game. - Mabert: Suarez tastes appeal defeat - Report: Bravo to start as Barca No. 1 Central defence
Forty-nine
percent of fans have opted for a Gerard Pique/Thomas Vermaelen
partnership in central defence, with the Pique/Jeremy Mathieu
combination in second with 19 percent of votes.
If Enrique manages
to motivate Pique to return to his former excellence, the Barca back
line should be much more solid than in previous years, regardless of who
his defensive partner may be. Already 27 years of age, the three-time
FIFA World XI winner should be reaching his peak, leading by example
after all those years alongside the legendary Carles Puyol. It truly is
up to Pique himself to make a conscious decision to step up and stop his
obvious decline in form during the last couple of seasons. Luis Enrique faces a myriad choices as to who should complete Barcelona's starting XI.Personally,
I believe that Mathieu will take very little time to adapt to the Barca
formation and should be Pique's partner, at least initially. After far
too many seasons struggling to defend set pieces effectively, my feeling
is that fielding the two tallest centre-backs in the squad together is
the best way forward. The Frenchman's aerial ability, speed when
tracking back and plenty of experience in La Liga will be a huge boost.
Sure, Andoni Zubizarreta did pay too much
for the 31-year-old's transfer, but considering the deal has already
been closed, it is now time for supporters to move on and stand by their
new signing.
Having both Vermaelen and Marc Bartra desperately
trying to challenge for their starting spots would increase the
competition and, ultimately, benefit the team as a whole. Barcelona has
not had this many options at centre-back since the Pep Guardiola era
and, despite the new signings not being of the calibre of world-class
defenders such as Thiago Silva or Vincent Kompany, the improvement in
terms of numbers and quality is obvious. Full-backs
Unsurprisingly,
88 percent of Cules believe Jordi Alba should be given the starting
spot as left-back. To be honest, that is probably the easiest decision
that Enrique will have to make, as Alba's desire to win at all costs,
blistering speed and ability to unbalance games when overlapping are a
lethal weapon Barca can simply not do without.
In contrast,
endless debate has been caused in regards to the right-back position.
While 89 percent believe Dani Alves should start when considering the
current squad, 80 percent also believe that signing the Brazilian's replacement is a must.
Personally, I am shocked by reports that the Barca board have discarded the signing of Juan Cuadrado and are about to close a deal on Douglas from Sao Paulo.
Let's hope that such information is simply a negotiation strategy as,
quite frankly and with all due respect, nobody in their right mind would
prefer the virtually unknown Brazilian to one of the stand-out players
who took Colombia to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Cules
would be far from impressed if Cuadrado's essential signing can't be
completed because Zubizarreta ran out of money by blowing the club's
transfer budget by paying over-inflated prices for Mathieu, Bravo or
Vermaelen. Defensive midfielder
Surprisingly, 69
percent of Cules would like Javier Mascherano to start ahead of Sergio
Busquets. In my opinion, Enrique can count himself lucky to have the
problem to choose between them.
After years of being unfairly
expected to excel as centre-half because of the board's poor squad
management, the courageous Argentinean should make a return to his
preferred position. His stellar performances at the World Cup showed
that he can lead from within when given enough trust and responsibility.
However,
I still believe that Busquets has the edge. His understanding of the
Barca mechanisms, speed of thought and accurate passing are second to
none. If, as expected, Xavi is given a more secondary role within the
squad, then Barca's new No. 5 must be his successor, the engine that
ensures the Blaugrana machine keeps on ticking. Sergio Busquets, left, and Javier Mascherano, right, are each candidates to start as Barcelona's defensive midfielder.Interior midfielders
The
partnership of Andres Iniesta and newly arrived Ivan Rakitic was
favoured by 74 percent of votes. The overwhelming support for the former
Sevilla captain ahead of club legend Xavi clearly reflects the fans'
desire to move forward by introducing new blood into the team. The
talented Croatian has been one of the stars of Barca's preseason thanks
to his ability to run from deep, move into goal-scoring positions and
find open teammates with ease.
With that in mind, it seems that it
will be up to Iniesta to ensure Barca's traditional pass-and-move
philosophy continues. Obviously, a more direct, less predictable
approach is necessary, but the essence of the club's formation must
remain, and there is nobody better than Don Andres to protect the
legacy. Forwards
A massive 94 percent would field
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in their starting eleven, which is
hardly surprising given their undeniable quality. The manager now has
the difficult task to ensure they can all enhance each other's games
while still performing as well as expected on an individual basis.
Enabling
enough spaces to run into, understanding when it would be best to face
rivals one-on-one or predicting each other's movements will only come
with meticulous planning during training and the right attitude from all
involved. The three South American stars have no option but to put
their egos aside and work together for the overall benefit of the team.
Messi
amassed 86 percent of the votes for the central striking position ahead
of Neymar and Suarez. However, I would personally start the Uruguayan
in a more central position (once he returns after his ban, of course)
and allow La Pulga to roam around freely around the team's attacking
third, trying to run into wherever the gaps may be.
After more
than a decade at Barca, many rivals are beginning to learn how to defend
against the diminutive No. 10, and a new approach is needed.
Personally, I do believe a less-restricted role behind Suarez (with the
Uruguayan creating spaces by locking defenders within their back-line)
would allow Messi to either find teammates with his mind-blowing passing
skills or dribble his way into goal-scoring positions.
Having
Neymar as a wide open reference, preferably on the left wing, should
make the Blaugrana's attack even harder to predict, keeping opponents
constantly guessing and chasing shadows. After a difficult first season
under terrible off-the-field pressure, it is now time for the young
Brazilian to deliver the magic of which everyone knows he is capable.
Newly signed Ivan Rakitic poses in a Barcelona shirt.
After several weeks of insistent rumours, Ivan Rakitic has been officially confirmed as Barcelona player.
Signing the 26-year-old Croatian international for a reported fee of
18 million euros (plus the loan of Barca B youngster Denis Suarez) is
certainly a step in the right direction, considering the much needed
rebuilding of the Blaugrana squad this summer.
Rakitic has landed at the Camp Nou after impressing with Sevilla over
four remarkable seasons. His 15 goals and 18 assists in his final year
at the Sanchez Pizjuan, together with his vision, versatility and
strength, made him an obvious target for many major Spanish and European
clubs. Despite strong interest from many of the Catalans' rivals, the
Croatian playmaker chose to join the very exciting journey Barcelona are
about to start, after one of the poorest seasons in recent history. The
prospect of playing alongside Andres Iniesta was definitely a deciding
factor, given his very public admiration for the World Cup winner.
The arrival of Rakitic responds to a direct demand of Luis Enrique, a
coach who has identified the Croatian's freshness, leadership and
hunger for success as vital qualities that the Barca dressing room could
certainly do with, given the aging nature of its current members. The
manager must be delighted to have landed one of the most promising yet
experienced playmakers in the whole of La Liga.
Despite the fact that it will take Cules a considerable amount of
time to assimilate the departure of Cesc Fabregas for a mere 33 million
euros, the arrival of a replacement in such a short time is reassuring.
Andoni Zubizarreta still has many crucial decisions to make in the next
few weeks, and I sincerely hope -- for the benefit of the club as a
whole -- he can continue to deliver quality, experienced players in the
near future.
In Rakitic and Rafinha, Barcelona have now added two quality
midfielders who have the potential to contribute to the evolution of
Barcelona's traditional formation and mechanisms. With that in mind, the
departure of 34-year-old Xavi Hernandez this summer is becoming a more
likely scenario. Unfortunately, the Catalan legend isn't getting any
younger and is finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the more
physical dimension that the game of football seems to be leaning toward
in recent time. The tiny maestro will have to decide whether to accept a
secondary role within Luis Enrique's rotation or spend his remaining
years as a professional earning a reported 8 million euros per season in
Qatar.
Personally, I am excited to see how Rakitic's athleticism, intensity
and discipline can enhance Barca's midfield. The unpredictable way he
usually joins attacking positions from deep will instantly boost the
team's goal-scoring threat (especially from long range). His ability to
hold position and play the ball into opening gaps will benefit those
players around him. Having become a key player in each and every one of
the teams he has played for is certainly a sign of a fully committed,
reliable professional. The Quote: "Rakitic is a true professional, a hard
worker with excellent skills. He won't have any problems to adapt to the
Camp Nou. He is a fantastic player. He can play anywhere in midfield,
whether it is as an attacking midfielder or wide winger" -- Robert
Prosinecki, ex-Croatia and Barca midfielder.
