Joan Laporta's current term at Barcelona has been largely aimed at lifting the club from the financial mess they were in at the time of his arrival. After all, the club were sinking into debt when he took over as the president. Through well-negotiated salary revisions, player sales and economic levers, Laporta brought Barcelona back to a competitive level on the field and close to the financial 1:1 rule, although they still have not hit the aforementioned balance yet. The club's situation and means of getting out of it, however, have generated significant debate in recent times.
It's a big week, but at the end of this week, we have another big week. Every game is important. Of course, Barcelona and Arsenal are important for different reasons, and we are ready.
Barcelona's clash with Chelsea in tomorrow's UEFA Champions League fixture is shaping up to be one of the most tactically complex matches for Hansi Flick. While the team enters the match with renewed confidence, a series of returning players has created several selection dilemmas across the pitch, forcing Flick to weigh up form, fitness and balance before naming his starting XI.
The Catalans reportedly see him to be very similar to Pedri in terms of his profile and thus see him to be a very valuable talent who can flourish at the club. In particular, Barcelona reportedly value Smit's ability to play between lines with ease, his creativity and style of play - all of which they see to complement Barcelona's style.
In Chelsea's recent 2-0 victory over Burnley, the headline was not the scoreline, but the defender's sudden return to action. For weeks, the message from Stamford Bridge had been clear: Badiashile would be sidelined long-term. Enzo Maresca, speaking ahead of their October fixture against Nottingham Forest, had stated that Cole Palmer would be "six more weeks out" and followed it by confirming that "Benoit will be out until December. He suffers from a muscle problem."
I've felt the affection of the people. Very happy to return with a victory. We've been looking for a clean sheet for a while now. We've changed a few things, but every game is different. Hopefully, we can achieve it in the following matches as well," he told the media.
