The Captains Classic

Discussed as they were at the beginning of the season, few thought that the four Barça captains, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto, would reach the Classic with the feeling with the partner momentarily recoveror. Their dubious level in the big European events in recent years was joined by the thorny issue of salary cuts, which cost them a whistle at the beginning of the season. However, that is already past water. Busquets has regained credibility, especially for his great Eurocup and the Nations League MVP trophy, but he also had a good season the previous year.

Piqué, who had started the season falon and giving the feeling that he is putting the team too far back, which ends up decompensating and weighing on Busquets, claimed on Wednesday with a saving goal against Dinamo Kiev that leaves Barça with options in the Champions League. The ball put it on Jordi Alba, who already has two assists this season despite having been injured and having played only six games. Last season he gave up to 15 and ended up convincing Luis Enrique that he should re-fish him for the National Team. To this day, it is one of Barça’s main offensive weapons.

Sergi Roberto, who has not yet renewed his contract, is the one who left the most doubts at the start of the season. Luis Enrique’s call also seems to have encouraged him. And he usually plays the Classics well. For years, his connection with Luis Suárez in games against Real Madrid was fabulous. He too began with a brutal ride the play of Messi’s famous 2-3 on the day the Argentine showed his shirt to the Bernabéu. Sergi Roberto also triumphed in the league classic of the 2018-19 season against Vinicius, whom he dried up thanks to his good tactical sense of the game. Of course it was another Vinicius …

These are the numbers of the Barça captains in the Classic. Piqué, on the threshold of his 40th Classic, has scored two goals; the famous 2-6 and 1-0 in the league Classic of the 2015-16 season that Barça ended up losing. Sergi Roberto, meanwhile, has given six assists in 14 Classics. Jordi Alba has measured 30 times against Madrid, 24 of them with the Barça shirt. He has scored two goals and has given five assists.

The case of Busquets is curious. In his 40 Classics against Madrid, his goals are not found in the statistics. And if an attendance is counted … Sui generis. The one that is awarded to him for having left the ball stopped to Messi in the start of the famous 0-2. He was expelled, to the despair of Guardiola, for a double yellow in the first leg of the 2009-10 season. The Barça could hold the 1-0 (goal of Ibrahimovic)

The captains have also had a gesture of quality and commitment. Despite the fact that the player who earned the most by far from the squad, Leo Messi, left for PSG in the summer; I hammered, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets have lowered the file around 25% and, in addition, they have deferred a good part of the salary that remains to be received to do so in the coming seasons. The case of Sergi Roberto is different. His renewal, although the club came to consider it closed and Mateu Alemany insisted that the player only thinks about continuing, he is stopped. Sergi Roberto was going to extend his contract, lowering his card by almost 50%. However, he backed down after the whistles of the fans against Bayern and thinks about it. But he is a beloved player and the club wants him in the dressing room.