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The Rojiblancos have brought in some big names since Diego Simeone took charge over a decade ago

Atletico Madrid have changed the face of La Liga in the last decade by becoming the third major force in Spanish football, battling Real Madrid and Barcelona for the title.

The Rojiblancos have won the Spanish league 11 times as well as three Europa League crowns, three UEFA Super Cups and the Copa del Rey on 10 occasions among others.

Under the guidance of Diego Simeone, Atletico have developed a brand of football that might not be soothing to the eyes, but effective when it comes to getting positive results in key matches.

In their quest to to compete with Barca and Madrid, Atletico have made some shrewd signings since Simeone took charge in 2011.

But how much exactly have Atletico spent over the years?

GOAL takes a look!

Atletico Madrid's top 10 most expensive player signings

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  10Antoine Griezmann | €30m | Real Sociedad | 2014

  After coming through the ranks at Real Sociedad, Antoine Griezmann made his senior debut for the club on September 2, 2009 when the Basque side were in the second tier.

  It was in the 2011-12 season that he really burst on to the scene, though, as Sociedad were promoted to La Liga. In his first match in the top-flight against defending champions Barcelona, Griezmann scored an equaliser to help Sociedad claim a 2-2 draw.

  In July 2014, Atletico Madrid came calling, agreeing to pay a €30m fee for the Frenchman.

  From 2014 to 2018, Griezmann made 180 appearances for Atletico, scoring 94 goals before making a record move to Barcelona in the summer of 2019.

  The World Cup winner returned back to Atletico for a season-long loan in 2021 before making his return permanent in 2022.

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  9Kevin Gameiro | €32m | Sevilla | 2016

  Atletico Madrid pounced on the opportunity to sign established striker Kevin Gameiro on a four-year deal for €32m from Sevilla in the summer of 2016.

  The French forward made 82 appearances and scored 27 goals in his two years for Atletico. His most memorable contribution came in February 2017, when he scored the fastest La Liga hat-trick in over 22 years after coming off the bench in the 62nd minute against Sporting Gijon.

  Gamerio was offloaded to Valencia in the summer of 2018 for €16m.

  After three seasons there, he returned to his childhood club Strasbourg in the summer of 2021.

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  8Jackson Martinez | €35m | Porto | 2015

  In the 2014-15 season, Porto's Jackson Martinez was labelled a future star of European football.

  Already 28 years old at that time, Martinez was on his way to score the last few of his 92 goals in 136 appearances for Porto.

  Premier League side Arsenal were heavily linked with the Colombian but Atletico Madrid acted fast and paid a hefty €35m fee for the Colombian striker in the summer of 2015.

  Martinez scored his first goal in his second game for Atletico – a 3-0 win over Sevilla.

  However, he could not survive at the club for even one full season, leaving the following January to join Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande.

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  7Alvaro Morata | €35m | Chelsea | 2020

  After having him on loan for the 2019-20 season, Atletico Madrid decided to sign Alvaro Morata on a permanent basis, agreeing to pay €35m to Chelsea.

  After making just eight appearances, Atletico sent him on loan to Juventus for two seasons.

  Morata returned to Atletico in 2022 and managed to fight his way back into Diego Simeone's starting XI.

Several American starlets earned their U.S. debuts in what was an otherwise forgettable January friendly.

A total of 12 players made their U.S. men's national team debuts this week, and that alone makes this January camp a success. Some day, we may look back at this week and reminisce about the debuts of young stars like Gaga Slonina, Paxten Aaronson, John Tolkin and Brandon Vazquez, among plenty of others.

But the actual games themselves? Pretty forgettable. And, after a 2-1 loss to Serbia that had some excitement to it, the USMNT's clash with Colombia on Saturday night provided little in the way of memorable moments.

The two sides played to a 0-0 draw in a game that was defined by disorganized chaos. This looked like a game featuring two teams hastily put together in preseason and that's because it's exactly what it was.

There were few pretty sequences and, to be fair, few standout performances. This game was an extended runout that will provide all involved with a bit of fitness and little more.

That is, except for those that made their debuts, with several newcomers offering glimpses of their potential. It wasn't enough to salvage this game, but it was enough to add a little bit of meaning to an otherwise dull January friendly.

There are brighter days ahead, and some big decisions as the USMNT prepare for a new leadership structure. This will go down as one to forget, but not for a few players that could play a part under the next regime whenever it does arrive.

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  The Winners

  Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman:

  Fans will have gone into this game wanting to see young stars show out, but this wouldn't have gone well if not for the two World Cup veterans.

  In what turned out to be a chaotic first half, Zimmerman and Long provided a bit of stability to a totally disjointed USMNT side. January camps are, by nature, disjointed, but the first half was particularly chaotic, with the two teams exchanging counter after counter over and over again.

  And Zimmerman and Long dealt with those counters. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't perfect, but they did keep it scoreless.

  Fans may not have loved seeing two proven veterans in January camp, but this is vital for their fitness too. Both will have some part to play this cycle and both were good in this one.

  Paxten Aaronson:

  A perfect performance? No way, but it was a good look into what the younger Aaronson is and can be.

  The Eintracht Frankfurt earned his first USMNT cap and, by and large, he didn't look out of his depth. He called for the ball and attempted to make things happen when he got it. It could be argued that he deserved at least one goal in the first half.

  Were there weak moments though? Definitely. Physically, Aaronson isn't quite there yet, but few players his age are. Time in Germany will help him bulk up and fill out to help him deal with the more physical side of the game.

  Overall, though, a positive showing on a night to remember for a potential future star.

  John Tolkin and DeJuan Jones:

  The two new fullbacks looked more than ready for this.

  Jones was making his second USMNT appearance, having made his debut against Serbia. Tolkin was making his first. And neither looked out of their depth in the slightest.

  Tolkin played 80 solid minutes, showing plenty of positive signs on both sides of the ball. That trademark confidence was bright with him to the international level, and we should see it a bunch more in a USMNT shirt going forward.

  As for Jones, a solid showing. The New England Revolution defender has speed, but also a bit more nuance to his game in the attacking end. It's a deep right-back pool, but Jones may climb up the rankings a bit.

  Of the two, Tolkin has the clearest path towards more minutes, but both did themselves proud int his one.

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  The Losers

  Several new faces:

  Yes, this camp is about more than just throwing caps to young players. It's a vital time for veterans to build fitness alongside some new faces, who shouldn't all be thrown in the deep end at the same time.

  With that said, it would have been nice to see some extended minutes for a few players that earned a bit more of a look.

  Cade Cowell is one, especially given how electric he was against Serbia. Jalen Neal is another and, although he did get on the field, he could have benefitted greatly from a few more minutes. Sean Johnson obviously deserved his minutes, but maybe we could have gotten a look at Roman Celentano?

  It's a tough spot for Anthony Hudson, even when looking past his interim tag. He's balancing a lot and dealing with players at all sorts of fitness levels. He gave plenty of young guys a go, but could he have run out a few more?

  The viewer:

  You have to be pretty devoted to be truly invested in January camp, but the hope usually is that you get a few good moments and a few good goals.

  We certainly didn't get that on Saturday night.

  If you stayed in Saturday to watch USMNT-Colombia, you probably weren't left very happy and you probably didn't learn that much that you didn't already know.

  But, hey, there are only two months until the Nations League, so there's that.

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  USMNT Ratings: Defense

  Sean Johnson (6/10):

  Didn't get challenged by anything particularly crazy. Will now head to his new club, Toronto, as he looks to remain in the USMNT picture amid Slonina's rise.

  John Tolkin (7/10):

  Super, super comfortable in his first U.S. appearance. The USMNT has been looking for a backup left back… have they found him?

  Walker Zimmerman (7/10):

  Kept the U.S. in it despite a frenetic first half. Will remain a key contributor going forward, although the U.S. centerback picture does need a bit of refreshing.

  Aaron Long (6/10):

  Could have been better on the ball, but, like Zimmerman, kept things cool in the first half.

  DeJuan Jones(7/10):

  Made a case for more looks at right back, although that's a strength of this player pool.

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  Midfield

  Kellyn Acosta (6/10):

  His set pieces weren't quite as crisp as usual, which was a bit of a downer in an otherwise okay game.

  Eryk Williamson (6/10):

  Showed signs of what makes him a legitimate No. 8 option for the U.S., but wasn't close helpful enough defensively.

  Paxten Aaronson (7/10):

  Overall, plenty of positives to take away, although he will need to adjust to the physicality of the international game. That will come after some time in Frankfurt.

Carlo Ancelotti's could be in trouble after being beaten 1-0 at home by Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie.

Real Madrid suffered a surprise defeat to an injury-hit Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu, as Xavi's side took the advantage ahead of the return leg at Camp Nou.

A typically tetchy affair between the eternal rivals saw Vinicius Junior booked for an early wrestling match with Frenkie de Jong in a sign of a frustrating night ahead for the Brazilian before Barcelona took the lead after 26 minutes.

The visitors were helped by Madrid as they opened the scoring. An awful pass from Eduardo Camavinga allowed Barcelona to break forward through Franck Kessie. Thibaut Courtois saved the midfielder's shot but the ball ricocheted off Eder Militao and into the back of the net, with Nacho whiffing at a chance to clear it off the line.

Real Madrid ramped up the pressure in the second half but couldn't find an equaliser and now face an uphill task if they are to make it to the final.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

  Barely had anything to do other than pick the ball out of his own net after the own goal.

  Dani Carvajal (6/10):

  Blasted a good chance miles over the bar at the end of the first half.

  Eder Militao (5/10):

  Was credited with the own goal but was a little unfortunate and could do little to prevent the ball going over the line.

  Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

  A solid enough showing from the centre-back.

  Nacho (5/10):

  Booked for pulling back Raphinha and hooked just after the hour as Ancelotti sent on Rodrygo.

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  Midfield

  Eduardo Camavinga (4/10):

  Guilty of an awful pass that gifted Barcelona possession which led to the own goal.

  Toni Kroos (6/10):

  Created Madrid's best chance of the first half which was wasted by Dani Carvajal.

  Luka Modric (5/10):

  Not his night. Wasted an early chance and couldn't provide the attacking inspiration his side so badly needed.

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  Attack

  Fede Valverde (5/10):

  Grew frustrated as the game wore on and also went into the book for a poor challenge on Frenkie de Jong.

  Karim Benzema (4/10):

  Volleyed home a brilliant goal in the first half but saw it rightly ruled out as he had strayed offside.

  Vinicius Junior (4/10):

  Once again struggled up against Ronald Araujo and saw yellow after tangling with De Jong.

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• Subs and manager

  Rodrygo (5/10):

  Sent on as Madrid searched for an equaliser and shot wide in stoppage time.

  Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):

  Little impact off the bench.

  Alvaro Rodriguez (N/A):

  No late heroics from the youngster this time around.

  Carlo Ancelotti (5/10):

  Ancelotti will know this is a missed chance for Los Blancos who failed to beat an under-strength Barcelona and now face an uphill task ahead of the return at Camp Nou.

Erik ten Hag is reportedly planning a ruthless summer clear-out at Manchester United, with up to 15 players on the chopping block.

The Red Devils have brought their six-year wait for major silverware to a close in 2022-23 with Carabao Cup glory, while remaining in contention for an FA Cup triumph and top-four finish in the Premier League, but inconsistency has remained an issue.

United crashed out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage after suffering a 5-2 aggregate defeat to competition specialists Sevilla, with an error-strewn outing on Spanish soil convincing Ten Hag that he needs to freshen up his ranks.

A mass exodus of talent could now be on the cards at Old Trafford, according to , with the Red Devils ready to free up squad space and funds by parting with a number of established stars and fringe players.

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  David de Gea

  A club stalwart with over 530 appearances and a record haul of clean sheets to his name, but the Spanish goalkeeper is yet to sign a new contract and has seen questions asked of his reliability as No.1.

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  Harry Maguire

  Remains club captain at Old Trafford, but the no-nonsense centre-half was dropped by Ten Hag early in the 2022-23 campaign and may require a fresh start elsewhere after seeing costly mistakes creep into his game.

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  Victor Lindelof

  The Swedish defender has been in Manchester since 2017, but he faces fierce competition for places when everyone is fit and could find it easier to get the regular game time he craves elsewhere.

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  Aaron Wan-Bissaka

  Appeared to have been written off when Diogo Dalot filled United’s right-back berth, but has played his way back into contention and will hope to convince Ten Hag that no upgrade in his position is required.

The 19-year-old Belgian is on the radar of Chelsea, Liverpool and even former club Manchester City ahead of the transfer window

Few people at Southampton will emerge from this season with their reputation intact, but Romeo Lavia most certainly will. In fact, the 19-year-old midfielder may even have enhanced his, despite the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League.

The Belgium international has made a big impact on the south coast following his £10 million (£12.5m) move from Manchester City last summer. In a struggling team, Lavia’s performances have been a rare source of encouragement for supporters and, accordingly, he is attracting attention from some of the country’s top clubs.

Liverpool, whom Southampton will face at St Mary’s on Sunday in their final game of the campaign, are among the admirers, with Lavia looking to end his first full campaign in senior football on a high, and underline his potential as a star of the future.

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  Schooled the right way

  Watching Lavia, it is easy to see that this is a player who has been well-schooled. Born in Brussels, though he is of Ghanaian heritage, he joined Anderlecht at the age of eight and progressed through their ranks until being snapped up by Manchester City just after his 16th birthday in 2020.

  He settled well at the Etihad. Though relatively small in stature – he has grown to near six foot now – his composure, awareness and ability to play the ball under pressure meant he was used as a deep-lying midfielder in City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS), where he featured alongside the likes of Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Liam Delap and Samuel Edozie, who, along with goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and defender Juan Larios, joined Lavia in swapping Manchester for Southampton last summer.

  That EDS side was good enough to win the Premier League 2 title in both 2021 and 2022 – they retained the title, without Lavia, this season – with Lavia making his senior City debut against Wycombe in the Carabao Cup in September 2021. He would follow that up with a second, and final, appearance away to Swindon in the FA Cup in January 2022.

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  Learning from the best

  The manner in which Lavia has settled in at Southampton, making 33 appearances in all competitions this season, has been impressive, but not entirely surprising, given the education he received during his two-year stay at City.

  The influence of Fernandinho was particularly helpful for a youngster learning the game as a defensive midfield player. In an interview with GOAL back in 2021, Lavia explained how the Brazilian had become a source of inspiration for him.

  "I’ve watched a lot of Fernandinho and [Sergio] Busquets,” Lavia said. “Those two have dominated the game as defensive midfielders [so] I’ve looked at them a lot… Fernandinho knows what he’s doing – he doesn’t run just to run. He’s like the brain of the team. When you’re young you want to run – left, right – but he knows what he’s doing so he won’t run as much, but will still be effective. That’s something I keep learning from him.”

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  Settling in at Southampton

  At Southampton, Lavia knew he would have big shoes to fill. He effectively became the replacement for Oriol Romeu, who had patrolled Saints’ midfield for the previous seven years but who was surprisingly sold to Girona last September. 

  Romeu was known for his robust style and calmness on the ball, and it quickly became apparent that Lavia, although a different kind of player generally, bore plenty of similarities with the Spaniard. Certainly, there was a composure which belied his tender years, and his ability to read the game and retain possession made him an instant hit with supporters and team-mates.

  “You can clearly see that he's got the ability,” said club captain James Ward-Prowse as early as last September. “And he knows what he's doing so you might not need to give him as much [guidance].

  “You can see immediately the quality and the eagerness and the kind of ‘no fear factor’ these young players have. They want to have the ball and they want to get involved and do everything. It's exciting to be part of and it's up to us as the older experienced players to try and help them along their journey.”

  That journey, of course, would end in relegation, but if Ward-Prowse is a player who can expect to earn a transfer despite that disappointment, then so too, most definitely, is Lavia.

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  Chelsea's crazy offer

  There were more than a few eyebrows raised within the game when it emerged that Lavia was on the move last summer. Many had expected City to begin to integrate him into their first team, but the signing of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds effectively put an end to that idea. And there were more eyebrows raised when, just weeks after Lavia’s arrival at Southampton, Chelsea tried to sign him, offering Saints an immediate, and substantial profit on their investment. 

  “I will never understand this to be honest,” said the then-Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl. “Let them play a good season. I remember when I was playing, you needed two or three good seasons before people talk about you as a good one. Now, meanwhile, three or four games are enough!

  "Give them time, keep it calm. I know that you want to have stars and create stars, but it doesn't help the players and very often the opposite happens. This is why I try to keep them grounded and let them do their job."

  Chelsea’s approach, believed to be worth as much as £50m ($62m), was rejected, but the Londoners remain firm admirers. Their co-director of recruitment and talent, Joe Shields, was one of those responsible for taking Lavia to Southampton, having previously worked as head of academy recruitment at Manchester City, and scouts regularly attend games at St Mary’s, with their feedback on Lavia overwhelmingly positive.

There are host of talented teens looking to follow in the footsteps of Alejandro Garnacho and Evan Ferguson from last season

One of the joys of any Premier League season is when young players breakout and become household names almost overnight. Fans are always energised when a teenager, whether they are homegrown or otherwise, makes an impact on the first team, and heading into the 2023-24 campaign, there are plenty of talents who look set to emerge.

When GOAL produced this list ahead of the 2022-23 season, we predicted the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Evan Ferguson, Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, Stefan Bajcetic and Julio Enciso would make their mark over the next nine months, so who do we believe will be able to do something similar this time around?

With the proviso that only players born in or after 2004 are eligible, and that players must have 15 or fewer Premier League appearances under their belt, here's the 2023-24 list of teenage talents who could breakthrough in the English top flight:

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  Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton)

  The most experienced player on this list in terms of Premier League appearances, Facundo Buonanotte played 13 times in the top-flight for Brighton last season, and even got himself on the scoresheet during a defeat at Nottingham Forest.

  The Seagulls paid around £6 million to bring the 18-year-old to the south coast from Argentine side Rosario Central in January, and it is hoped he will follow in the footsteps of Ferguson and Enciso in making an impact under Roberto De Zerbi.

  An attacking midfielder who can play further forward, he has been compared to Alexis Mac Allister in the past, and could yet end up being his compatriot's long-term replacement in the Brighton line up.

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  Youssef Chermiti (Everton)

  Youssef Chermiti is a new arrival into the Premier League having moved to Everton in the days leading up to the new campaign. The Toffees have agreed to pay an initial £13m for the 19-year-old, who arrives from Sporting CP.

  A physically imposing striker with a touch that belies his size, Chermiti scored three goals in the Primeira Liga last season, and arrives into Sean Dyche's squad to provide back-up for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Given the England striker's injury issues, though, there is a good chance that Chermiti will get plenty of opportunities to impress over the course of the season.

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  Bobby Clark (Liverpool)

  The son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark, Bobby Clark joined Liverpool from the Magpies in 2021 and has made excellent progress since arriving on Merseyside. He made his first-team debut in August 2022, but his cameo in the 9-0 win over Bournemouth remains the 18-year-old's only Premier League appearance to date.

  An energetic central midfielder, Clark has been given opportunities to impress during pre-season by Jurgen Klopp, and as the Reds continue to redevelop their midfield, Clark will be hopeful of following Bajcetic into the team over the course of the season.

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  Amario Cozier-Duberry (Arsenal)

  One of the stars of Arsenal's run to the FA Youth Cup final last season, Cozier-Duberry's displays certainly caught Mikel Arteta's eye, who included the teenager in his matchday squad on six occasions over the course of the campaign.

  Cozier-Duberry is yet to make his first-team bow, but the 18-year-old's tricky wing play has earned comparisons to Bukayo Saka, and there is some hope that he can become the England star's primary back-up over the next couple of years.

Rangers “wanted to buy” Malik Tillman this summer, but the USMNT star ended up leaving Bayern Munich for Eredivisie giants PSV.

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• Playmaker starred on loan at Ibrox
• Option for permanent deal torn up
• American now in the Netherlands

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 21-year-old playmaker enjoyed a productive loan spell at Ibrox in 2022-23, with 12 goals recorded through 43 appearances. Rangers did have a £5m ($6m) purchase option within that agreement, but never got as far as being able to trigger it.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  That is because Bayern realised that they could make more money elsewhere. They tore up a deal with the Gers as a result, allowing them to put a deal in place with PSV that could be worth £13m ($16m). The American is now looking to thrive outside of Glasgow, much to the disappointment of former Rangers player and coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst – the man who took Tillman to Scotland.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Van Bronckhorst has told : “I watched a lot of videos of him before he came to us; a good player and a great talent. (Tillman) did a great job for us last year. He gave an assist against PSV and scored important goals against Union Saint-Gilloise (in the Champions League play-offs). He’s strong on the ball and also with his work ethic. He also reads the game and he has good dribbling ability. I do think Rangers wanted to buy him, but Bayern Munich bought off the option to buy that Rangers had. That’s why he is now at PSV.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Rangers are now coming up against Tillman’s new employers in the 2023-24 Champions League qualifiers, with their tie locked at 2-2 on aggregate heading into the second leg on Dutch soil this Wednesday.

Juventus are reportedly not convinced that Weston McKennie is ready for a new contract just yet, with the American still needing to prove his worth.

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• Suffered relegation out of the Premier League
• Offered fresh start back in Italy
• Must earn extension to current deal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international midfielder appeared destined to head out of the Allianz Stadium during the summer of 2023 after spending the second-half of last season on loan at Leeds – where he suffered relegation out of the Premier League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McKennie has, however, seen the slate wiped clean in Turin and has figured in all five of Juve’s Serie A fixtures this season. Massimiliano Allegri has found a starting role for him at times and is said to remain a fan of what the 25-year-old brings to the table.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  , though, are reporting that no talks are planned regarding an extension to a deal that is due to expire in 2025. McKennie is not considered to be a priority as he needs to show that he should be retained on a long-term basis.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  McKennie has admitted that returning to Juventus “wasn’t easy” after seemingly dropping down the pecking order and returning to “square zero”, but he is up for the “challenge”. With Paul Pogba currently suspended on doping charges, there may be more minutes to be found over the coming weeks.

Didier Deschamps admits Paul Pogba’s situation is “complicated”, with it unclear whether the Juventus midfielder will play for France again.

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• Midfielder suspended in Italy
• Unclear when he will play again
• No promises from Les Bleus boss

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The World Cup winner is being prevented from turning out for club and country at present, with a suspension being served on the back of a failed drugs test. The threat of a lengthy ban, and having his contract in Turin cancelled completely, continues to hang over Pogba.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pogba has struggled for form and fitness since returning to Juve as a free agent in 2022, with regular setbacks preventing him from making the desired impact in Italy after severing ties with Manchester United. He would need to rediscover a spark in order to earn an international recall if he is cleared to play again.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Deschamps is unable to offer any promises to Pogba, though, telling reporters when asked if the enigmatic 30-year-old will figure for his country again: “[Massimiliano] Allegri is particularly sad for Paul, as am I too, a lot of things have fallen on his head lately. He finds himself in a complicated situation. He will defend himself. He will have to defend himself, this forms part of a long procedure. It all started with the doping test. I don't know what tomorrow holds for him, but what's happening to him is sad for him. I'll not have a categorical or radical position. I don't know what his future will be like, it will take time. Even if he hasn't been with us for a while. I hope for him that he finds his smile again, the full possession of his means, that he will find the pitch again, but it will take time.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Pogba has earned 91 caps for France, scoring 11 goals, and was part of their squad which savoured World Cup glory in 2018. His focus is locked on domestic matters for now, with there still a chance that he will avoid being stung with a ban that would leave his career hanging in the balance.

Xavi has been given the dreaded vote of confidence at Barcelona, with sporting director Deco saying the under-fire coach has “200%” backing.

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• Argentine icon departed in 2021
• Domestic dominance restored last season
• Searching for consistency in 2023-24

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The legendary La Masia academy graduate, who captained the Catalan giants to domestic and continental honours during his playing days, returned to Camp Nou in a coaching capacity back in November 2021. He took over with the Blaugrana sat ninth in the table, and guided them to La Liga title glory in 2022-23.

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  WHAT THEY SAID

  That success was achieved despite “best player ever” Lionel Messi leaving a few months prior to his arrival, while other established stars headed for the exits over the summer – making it difficult for certain standards to be maintained. With that in mind, Deco has told : “We won the league after a period in which people said it would take years for Barca to win La Liga again. Do not forget, we also lost the best player ever. Leo is not here anymore and we thought it would be a big drama until we returned to winning [trophies]. A generation of players have left Barca, players like [Sergio Busquets]. I'd like to have another Busi. We had Jordi Alba, [Gerard] Pique, emblematic players…This whole process, for a coach, is difficult to manage. Xavi has achieved it. We have renewed his contract. The confidence in him is 100%, 200%.

  “Now, do we want to improve? Do we want to play better? Of course. We can't hide that, we can't say that's not the case, that we don't want a more attractive team. It's another thing to know why we are not hitting that level. We know we've not had all the players [available]; little by little we have been getting them back. We speak every day. Xavi, more than anyone, wants to play better. We know the areas we have to improve, but we can't forget the good things, either, or who we are. That is important.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Defending champions Barca have already dropped points this season against Getafe, Mallorca and Granada, while defeats against Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk in the club’s last four games have piled pressure on Xavi. Deco added to on having the right man for the job in place: “I have no doubt that Xavi is the best manager for Barca. He accepted the challenge of taking over at a difficult moment and he's the perfect coach to carry out the reconstruction we are undergoing.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Xavi is working on a contract through to the summer of 2025, but he has Barca sat third in the Liga table at present – four points adrift of surprise leaders Girona – while there is still work to be done in order to secure progress into the last-16 of the Champions League.