When Sergi Barjuan was asked after the draw against Alabès how he planned to prepare for the match against Dinamo Kiev, given that Gerard Piqué and Kun Agüero had just joined the list of casualties, he answer: “It’s what it is.” And yes, indeed, this is what exists at Barça. This Tuesday the team is playing its way to the round of 16 in the Champions League with an interim coach who cannot be required to perform miracles or ask for explanations. He will do what he can because that is what he is and he does not even know how long he will continue to work because his boss, Joan Laporta, continues to improvise.
Less than a month has passed since the public ratification he made of Koeman in Madrid the day after he stated in a meeting with journalists that he was sentenced and that, in addition, Xavi Hernández was green. And now that he has fired Koeman on a plane – and that he has not yet been able to close Xavi’s contract – he begins to say that he has other options. As if he had it all thought out, planned and organized, when the only constant since he came to the presidency has been improvisation.
It happened with the morning endorsements. And when he asked Koeman for 15 days to find a replacement for him and later he even assured that he wanted to renew him. Also when he was convinced that Leo Messi would stay. And when he didn’t see the need for a referendum for Espai Barça. And when he suspended the assembly of delegates because the party was beginning. And when he wanted to go play Johan Cruyff while the works were done at the Camp Nou. And even when the delegates voted to specifically include respect for human rights in the club’s statutes and three days later Barça announced a friendly match in Saudi Arabia. And so on.
No, Sergi can’t be asked for an explanation, but Joan Laporta can. And his tenure so far is chaos as he continues to stubbornly proclaim that he has everything under control, when, obviously, it is a lie. It has merit to sell that you have a plan when you are playing to continue in the Champions League, at a crucial time of the season, with an interim coach and no tied substitute. There will be those who will continue to believe it and shrug their shoulders while muttering a resigned “This is what it is”, but against Alabès the stadium was half empty, a symptom that the excuses no longer stick.
