Barcelona has made a significant stride in the transfer market with the acquisition of Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City on a free transfer. The German midfielder, whose contract with City expires on June 30th, will join the Catalan club as a free agent. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the deal, shedding light on the implications for both clubs and the player himself.
Barcelona has a long, rich history of appointing ex-legends as managers, with wildly varying levels of success. However, current boss Xavi has fired the Catalonians back to the top of their perch, which is a place where many FC Barcelona fans believe they belong. Although they haven’t entirely captured the imagination of the European football audience in the same way they did when Xavi was a player at the Nou Camp, he’s had an excellent start to his career in the dugout.
After finding his feet in 2021, Xavi implemented a style of football that has worked incredibly well over the last 12 months. First, he displayed the new and improved Barcelona during a mammoth pre-season friendly when Barcelona locked horns with Real Madrid in Las Vegas. Additionally, Xavi has also embraced the modern trends in sports, including the integration of innovative technologies and emerging markets, that are recently booming amid the growth of crypto esports betting options.
Just over a decade ago, Spanish football was in the midst of its greatest-ever era. Firstly under Luis Aragonés and then under Vicente Del Bosque, Las Rojas romped to back-to-back European Championships, with a first and only World Cup success sandwiched in the middle. And that success was built off the back of one club, FC Barcelona.
Back in 2008, Luis Aragonés led a new-look Spanish side to Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Out went the old guard such as Real Madrid legend Raul and in came a wealth of younger technical players, including the likes of Cesc Fabregas and David Silva. But the jewel in the Spanish crown was of course the Catalonian duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
