This will not be remembered as one of the best years in Barcelona’s history.
The club celebrated their 125th anniversary in November but have undergone moments of institutional, economic and sporting crisis.
Barca are still unable to sign new players at will due to their financial situation. After the traumatic departure of Xavi as coach following a series of U-turns came a summer of austerity in the transfer market as they watched their fierce rivals Real Madrid strengthen their ranks with Kylian Mbappe.
But the arrival of Hansi Flick and rise of young talents led by Lamine Yamal mean Barca have ended the year in a much better place than where they began, even if they stumbled late on and dropped from the top of the table to third after losing 2-1 against Atletico Madrid on December 21.
Here, Barcelona correspondent Laia Cervello Herrero looks at their year in review.
Best moment
It has to be the remarkable week in October in which they beat their bogey team in the Champions League — winning 4-1 against Bayern Munich — and demolished Real Madrid with a 4-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Flick’s new-look team had started the season well after a turbulent summer in which Xavi was dismissed, they could not make big moves in the transfer market due to their poor financial situation and faced difficulties in registering new players (Dani Olmo and Pau Victor) and ones already in the squad (Inigo Martinez).
But this was the crowning moment that proved Flick’s project was working, against two teams who have often inflicted damaging defeats on them in recent years.
Worst moment
There have been several moments when it seemed as if the club had hit rock bottom, then hit it again. But January stands out.
Barcelona missed out on a title — with a 4-1 loss in the Supercopa de Espana final against Real Madrid in Saudi Arabia — were eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the quarter-final against Athletic Club and saw their La Liga title defence evaporate with a 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal. All in just one month. That led to a meeting of the club board in the stadium after the game and Xavi telling reporters he had decided to leave in June.
It exposed the internal crisis that was having a knock-on effect on results. Xavi did not tell the players about his decision beforehand and said he had been thinking about it for some time. It was not the last twist in the coach’s future…
Best game
Without a doubt, the 4-0 drubbing of Madrid.
It was a match that defined Flick’s style, using an extremely high defensive line to catch their opponents offside again and again. Carlo Ancelotti’s team fell into that trap 12 times, with headline summer signing Mbappe responsible for eight of those.
Barca’s drubbing of Madrid led to renewed hope in the Catalan capital (Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Barca pressed high, found their forwards quickly with each attack and were hugely effective in front of goal. It had fans reminiscing about better times.
There were fears in Barcelona that the gap between the Clasico rivals would widen this season after heavy defeats by Madrid last season and Ancelotti’s side lifting a La Liga-Champions League double. But against a team full of galacticos, Barca were able to beat them with homegrown teenagers such as Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. At Madrid’s shiny new home. Three days after thrashing Bayern.
Best player
He is already a global star, but on the streets of Barcelona, on talk shows and within the club it is common to hear people say Yamal reminds them of “you know who”.
They are not talking about Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter series, but Lionel Messi. Nobody dares to pronounce the Argentine’s name given how much Barca fans miss La Masia’s most successful graduate who left in traumatic circumstances in 2021.
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Yamal’s emergence has been unstoppable and has come at the best time. With Barca having to place even more importance on youth due to their financial difficulties, it has been surprising to see an extremely talented 17-year-old boy smiling and enjoying playing football in a way many supporters had forgotten was possible.
It is hard not to see him as Messi’s heir — the photos that surfaced during the European Championship of a young Messi washing a baby Yamal only added to the narrative.
The stat that sums up 2024
Flick told his players at the beginning of the season that a high line was a must for his team. No matter the opponent or the circumstances so far this season, they have stuck to it.
So it is no surprise that Barca lead Europe’s top five leagues for times they have caught opponents offside with 109 — yes, one hundred and nine. The next most effective offside trap on the continent belongs to Serie A side Parma on 60.
It is a risky approach which can reap big rewards, but since November there have been instances in which it has backfired. Serhou Guirassy’s second goal for Borussia Dortmund in their 3-2 loss against Barca came from the Germans breaking the offside trap.
Favourite quote
“We are pleased to announce that Xavi will continue as first-team coach.”
So said president Joan Laporta on April 25, exactly four months after Xavi had told a press conference he would be stepping down in June after that defeat by Villarreal.
This photo of Deco, Laporta and Xavi at the press conference announcing Xavi would be staying in April did not age well (Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In the following months, Xavi changed his mind and asked if he could stay. On the so-called ‘sushi night” — when Xavi went to Laporta’s house and the pair ate sushi and discussed the former midfielder’s future — the president decided he should stay on, despite already thinking about Flick.
Did that really happen?
Here is the most surreal part. Xavi staying on was announced on April 25. Less than a month later, on May 24, Barca announced he had been dismissed and replaced with Flick.
The image of the press conference in which Laporta, sporting director Deco and Xavi put their hands together to show unity did not last long. In between, the board had met with Flick in Dublin without having spoken to Xavi nor informed him that they would not be counting on him.
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Player to watch in 2025
There are plenty of youngsters in the Barca first team already, but Marc Casado deserves a special mention.
The 21-year-old midfielder went from being a player who was considering leaving in the summer because he did not see a clear path for him at Barca to taking Frenkie de Jong’s place in holding midfield.
He formed a double pivot with fellow La Masia youngster Marc Bernal in pre-season. Bernal seemed to be chosen as the sole holding midfielder when the season started, but then tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. With De Jong also out, Casado was given his chance and responded.
It will be intriguing to see whether he can hold down that spot with De Jong now back from injury.
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A wish for 2025
In 2025 I do not expect Barca to win titles, even if they are in a good position to do so and could cause a surprise. But that should not be asked of a project with such young players — Flick’s team need to consolidate themselves first.
Above all, my wish for Barcelona in 2025 is that they finally achieve the 1:1 rule with La Liga — meaning they would be able to spend all extra revenues they generate on improving the squad. It would mean they did not have to make such a mess of things each summer when trying to sign and register new players.
(Top photo: Yamal celebrates at the Bernabeu; by Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
