The resurgence of Barcelona

For nearly half a decade, Barcelona have experienced a drastic regression by their own high standards.

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Financial woes have taken a toll on the Catalan giants on the pitch during that period, as they were forced to watch their great rivals Real Madrid succeed both domestically and in Europe. However, the 2024/25 season was different. This campaign marked the first time since 2015/16 that Barcelona won at least three titles in a single season, having beaten their aforementioned adversaries emphatically on all four occasions they met. Soccer Laduma international writer Kamogelo Motecwane takes an in-depth look at the catalysts behind the Blaugrana's return to prominence.

Bad balancing of the books

Ironically, the precarious financial position that the Spanish giants currently find themselves in is, in part, a consequence of the success they enjoyed during Pep Guardiola’s time at the club in the late 2000s and 2010s.

That golden era made the club extremely appealing to investors and massively attractive for big-name players. The stars who brought Barcelona that glory were rewarded with substantial contracts. However, while they succeeded in keeping their core of world-class talent, they supplemented the squad with signings whose quality did not justify their hefty transfer fees.

This period of excessive spending on poor recruitment, coupled with alleged misappropriation of funds by former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, and the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, plunged the club into uncertainty. The situation reached its nadir when they lost their greatest ever player, Lionel Messi, on a free transfer — and the club would continue to soul-search until now.

Plan B: La Masia