Supercopa signifies start of new era at Barcelona

The Blaugrana beat Real Madrid in Riyadh on Sunday to win a first trophy under Xavi

It was three years ago in Saudi Arabia that Barcelona lost to Atlético Madrid in the inaugural four-team Supercopa and sounded out Xavi as a possible successor to Ernesto Valverde. Much has happened since.

Negotiations with Xavi were leaked and in the end, he decided to stay in Qatar. Barça did dismiss Valverde, then turned their attentions to a number of other coaches and appointed Quique Setién. They lost LaLiga from a winning position after that and were brutally beaten by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. So Setién left and Ronald Koeman joined in the summer.

Later in 2020, president Josep Maria Bartomeu was forced out and Joan Laporta won fresh elections the following year. Barça claimed the Copa del Rey, but lost Lionel Messi to PSG for free in August after admitting they could not afford to keep him. But following a poor start to the next campaign, Koeman was gone too and in November 2021, Xavi finally returned as coach.

His arrival brought optimism and a 4-0 win over Real Madrid in El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu in March appeared to represent an upturn in fortunes for the Catalan club. Not quite, though. Barça had dropped down to the Europa League by then and finished the season without a trophy. Madrid, meanwhile, added the Champions League and LaLiga titles to the Supercopa they had won in January.

Question marks over Xavi have remained in the current season. Despite significant summer investment after the club activated ‘financial levers’ to raise funds for new signings, Barça again dropped into the Europa League and although they lead LaLiga, they have not been controlling games quite as many might have expected.

So Sunday was key. Of all the trophies, the Supercopa is the least important. In fact, Barça would not have even been in it with the old format. But this win was significant. Not only because of the opponent, but because it ends a spell of 21 months without a piece of silverware, because it starts something more meaningful under Xavi, because it can build confidence and momentum for further successes in future, and because of how it was won.

Barça were superior in just about every aspect of the match. Xavi’s side were slicker in possession, pressed more effectively, were better organised, more creative, more clinical and had a clearer tactical plan. They scored twice before half-time, added another after 69 minutes and it could have been more. Madrid had Thibaut Courtois to thank for keeping the scoreline down and Karim Benzema for netting a late consolation. But this a was an extremely one-sided contest for much of the night.

Robert Lewandowski scored his first goal in El Clásico and Alejandro Balde drove down the flank with blistering pace, while Gavi got himself on the scoresheet and also bagged two assists. Operating on the left of midfield, the 18-year-old was the team’s standout player. But to a man, Barça impressed. And they just looked hungrier than Madrid.

That makes sense. It has been a long time since Barça last claimed a trophy and in the meantime, their fierce rivals have kept on winning. To the players, it clearly meant a lot and defender Ronald Araújo was in tears after the match.

“Very happy for this title,” the Uruguayan said. “We deserved it. We have been working really well. The team is together, united: we are a family. I think it’s something very special because it’s the start of a new era.”

Xavi echoed those thoughts. “I’m very happy with the players because, ever since I have been here, they want to win and they are working to achieve that,” he said. “They have been criticised a lot and today they have been liberated. It gives us a lot of confidence. We have to be proud. For barcelonismo it’s very positive. We are creating a team and I hope it’s the first of many [trophies].”

It should be. Since Barça first contacted Xavi after (or perhaps even before) the defeat to Atlético in Saudi Arabia in 2020, it has been a rocky road. But three years on, FCB are very much on the right track. This Supercopa signifies something bigger than the trophy itself. Greater prizes should follow.