Barcelona's resurgence shows benefit of quality coaching

Then when Lionel Messi left to join PSG, amidst the backdrop of their financial struggles, it seemed the gap between Barca and their rivals from Madrid had gone from a crack to a chasm.

Those opinions also seemed to be justified after a home thumping in the Champions League against Bayern Munich in September had home fans jeering and ESPN reported that the club was looking to change their head coach. A month later, days after a home defeat to Real Madrid, Ronald Koeman was dismissed.

While to some, even with their pragmatic coach out of the way, all hope was gone, one man knew just what he had to do to turn around the fortunes of the great club, and that man was one of their former heroes, Xavi Hernandez.

Even though Xavi had a positive start in management in Qatar, winning seven titles at Al Sadd, some were doubting if he could continue in a similar vein in Spain. After all, the competitions are vastly different; however, it was enough for the Barca hierarchy, as they knew they'd got the right person for the job.

Xavi took over the reins as head coach at the Camp Nou in early November, and the club hasn't looked back since. Barca has gone from a side looking meek and devoid of ideas into a slick, well-drilled unit that plays in the image of the great team of which their manager was a vital piece in the late 90s and 2000s.

Although there were some shoots of recovery early in Xavi's tenure, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows for Barca. As he couldn't steer his side into retaining their Champions League spot for this year, since dropping into the Europa League, they've put their foot back on the gas, and they're certainly showing why they're the favourites for the title in the latest Ladbrokes betting markets. The away win against Galatasaray, which sealed their place in the competition's quarter-finals, was a perfect example of the new-look team. They were well drilled, showed a real ambition on the ball and had a swagger that arguably borders on arrogance. It didn't matter that the Turkish side went in front, Barca just dusted themselves down and went again, and at the final whistle, it was the home fans leaving with their tails between their legs.

Right now, Barca has a squad of young players and a smattering of experience to complement that exuberance of youth, and it's a really intriguing blend. Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, two names synonymous with the club, fit seamlessly with the likes of Pedri and Gavi. They are just two of the next generation of superstars coming out of their fantastic academy setup. Then in January, they supplemented their squad with the return of two former faces, Dani Alves and Adama Traore, and brought in the seemingly troublesome Pierre Emerick Aubamayang, who couldn't avoid scandal with Arsenal in the English Premier League. But, the only headlines he's created in Spain are back page ones, as, under the watchful eye of Xavi, he's raced into double figures in goals scored, spearheading the new look Barca attack.

While the club from the Camp Nou may well have been living in the shadow of Real Madrid since winning their last title back in 2019, those days seem to be over. If you needed any proof, ask any of the fans in the Bernabeu Stadium recently as Aubamayang scored twice in a four-goal romp in the enemy's backyard.

In just five months, Xavi has overseen Barca's path from being possible pretenders to once again being genuine contenders, and long may that continue.

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