The season after promoting Neymar, Barcelona romped dwelling to the La Liga title with a large 93-point haul, ending up 14 factors forward of runners-up Atletico Madrid. It’s a season that has to go down as one in every of Lionel Messi’s finest.
However you look again at Ernesto Valverde’s crew now and also you marvel how on earth they received a league title so comfortably, solely shedding one sport on the penultimate weekend.
This XI from a late-season 2-2 draw away to Celta Vigo has just lately gone viral on social media. In equity, there have been some high quality gamers who missed out that day (Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez) however flaws inside the wider squad are clear to see – particularly in hindsight.
We’ve revisited each participant that featured for Barcelona that day.
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
The German ‘keeper is the one identify on Valverde’s teamsheet that is still at Barcelona in the present day.
He’s now into his eleventh season in Catalonia, a stint that’s seen him win 5 La Liga titles and 5 Copa del Rey, in addition to the Champions League in his debut 2014-15 marketing campaign.
Ter Stegen loved a very scorching streak of type between the sticks in Barca’s final title victory beneath Xavi a few years again, however he’s had his fair proportion of critics lately. There’s definitely a case to be made that they’ve regarded extra stable since he was sidelined with a knee harm in September.
RB: Nelson Semedo
The Portugal worldwide revamped 100 appearances for Barcelona throughout three seasons, however it turned clear he wasn’t their long-term right-back because the notorious shocker he suffered up in opposition to Alphonso Davies within the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.
A short time later he was offered to Wolves, and he stays at Molineux 5 years later. He’s confirmed himself a succesful Premier League footballer however it’s additionally truthful to imagine a return to an elite European membership isn’t on the playing cards.
CB: Yerry Mina
This was truly one in every of solely 5 La Liga appearances that Mina made throughout his brief and candy stint on the Camp Nou. The imposing Colombian defender was promptly moved on to Everton, the place he had his moments through the years however by no means absolutely satisfied.
After six months struggling for alternatives at Fiorentina, Mina is now marshalling the defence for Serie A relegation-battlers Cagliari.
CB: Thomas Vermaelen
After falling out of favour, Belgian centre-back Vermaelen made an eyebrow-raising transfer to Barcelona in 2014. His debut season in Spain ended with a historic treble, however he performed simply as soon as that 12 months amid his time on the remedy desk.
Vermaelen one way or the other stayed on Barca’s books for 5 years, damaged up with a mortgage away to Roma. He returned from the Olimpico to function semi-regularly as a squad possibility in 2017-18, with 20 appearances in all competitions.
He noticed out his profession alongside Iniesta at Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe, and remained an everyday Belgium worldwide up till his retirement in 2021. He then went on to serve as an assistant coach to Roberto Martinez on the 2018 World Cup.
LB: Lucas Digne
The left-back by no means fairly usurped Jordi Alba throughout his two years on the membership, having joined from PSG in the summertime of 2016.
Like Semedo, he’s gone on to change into a good Premier League full-back with over 100 matches within the English prime flight for each Everton and present membership Aston Villa.
CM: Paulinho
The Brazilian’s one and solely season at Barcelona stands proud like a sore thumb in his profession.
He was signed from Guangzhou Evergrande and swiftly returned to the Chinese language Tremendous League membership, whereas he was truly understatedly fairly sensible for Barcelona for that 12 months in between. Appears like a fever dream now.
Paulinho noticed out his profession again at Corinthians, from whom Tottenham signed him approach again when. The 36-year-old formally introduced his retirement again in September after a summer time and not using a membership.
QUIZ: Are you able to identify each Brazilian to play for Barcelona since 1990?
CM: Andre Gomes (Sergi Roberto, ’60)
You would possibly’ve been shocked to see Gomes that includes in a Champions League knockout sport after his wilderness years warming the bench at Everton. He’s now at Lille, having joined the Ligue 1 outfit completely after a profitable mortgage in 2022-23.
One other Jorge Mendes-represented signing from the Josep Maria Bartomeu period that by no means fairly labored out, Gomes has carried out properly to bounce again after successive profession setbacks.
La Masia graduate Roberto was launched on the hour mark in opposition to Celta Vigo however was despatched off 10 minutes later. The utility man joined Cesc Fabregas’ Como in the summertime after 14 years and 373 appearances for his boyhood membership.
FWR: Ousmane Dembele (Aleix Vidal, ’78)
In equity, there’s no questioning that Dembele is likely one of the best possible gamers in world soccer on present type. However permitting ourselves to be churlish, it’s solely taken him seven years to succeed in the potential Barcelona thought they have been shopping for from Borussia Dortmund after the Neymar sale.
Dembele managed simply 4 targets in his injury-hit debut marketing campaign at Barcelona and solely averaged six a season throughout his six years with the membership. Now he’s completely tearing it up for Luis Enrique’s PSG, as much as 29 and counting for the treble-chasing facet this season.
READ: The place are they now? The 7 gamers Barcelona offered alongside Ousmane Dembele in 2023
AMC: Denis Suarez
Suarez was the one identify on the teamsheet we held our palms as much as say truthful sufficient. Then we regarded a bit nearer.
Denis Suarez has had a perplexing profession since his days as a much-hyped wonderkid creating his expertise within the youth ranks at Manchester Metropolis and Barcelona. He’s had one settled spell at dwelling province membership Celta Vigo, however in any other case moved about often with out ever actually impressing.
Now 31 (god, we’re previous), Suarez is at Villarreal. He’s made simply 4 begins in La Liga for the Yellow Submarine this season.
FWL: Philippe Coutinho (Lionel Messi, ’60)
Coutinho’s big-money sale to Barcelona in January 2018 funded Liverpool’s transformation beneath Jurgen Klopp, with Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson following within the different course. Everyone knows what Jurgen Klopp’s crew ended up doing to Barcelona the next 12 months.
The Brazilian playmaker might by no means exchange Neymar or Iniesta, not to mention the 2 of them. However he truly confirmed promise in his early months for the La Liga champions-elect. Issues went downhill quick from there, although, and Barcelona made an eye-watering loss within the area of €120milion when he was offered to Aston Villa.
He stays on Villa’s books in the present day, out on mortgage to Brazilian facet Vasco da Gama.
Should you’re ever questioning how this crew received a La Liga title, Messi is the reply to that query. The Argentinian was on the peak of his powers again then; he notched 34 targets and 12 assists in 36 La Liga appearances that 12 months. Barcelona misplaced 5-4 to Levante in one of many solely two video games he missed solely.
You’re little doubt properly conscious that Messi is out having fun with the Florida sunshine within the ultimate years of his enjoying profession. And who might begrudge him that?
ST: Paco Alcacer
Bizarrely sufficient, Alcacer loved a sensational run of goalscoring type when Barcelona loaned him out to Borussia Dortmund in 2018-19.
The Spanish striker scored 12 targets in 14 appearances within the Bundesliga earlier than becoming a member of the membership completely, occurring to attain a equally respectable tally 11 in 23 in his one full season there. A file of 12 in 19 at worldwide degree for La Roja is fairly useful, too.
He wasn’t fairly so prolific on his return to La Liga with Villarreal, and he’s spent the previous couple of years off the mainstream soccer radar with Sharjah and Emirates FC out within the UAE Professional League.
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TRY A QUIZ: Are you able to identify the 24 gamers Barcelona have signed from the Premier League?
