The Barca Breakdown discussed the rumors circulating that Xavi has told Pique that his time at FC Barcelona is over. Do these rumors have any foundation? There has been controversy surrounding Pique regarding his split from Shakira, but that cannot be the only reason. It is clear that he has faced some injuries at the end of the last season, however the sports outlets claim it is due to Pique being unfocused at Barca. Furthermore, Barcelona wants him to renounce his 40M Euros that he is owed to ...
Jun 15, 2022•10 min•Ep. 163
The Barca Breakdown discussed the inching reality of Dembele, clearly one of the best players FC Barcelona has to offer currently, will most likely not come to an agreement with the club. The continued talks over the last year have not seemed to improve. Dembele is receiving interest from Chelsea and PSG for a new contract this summer. As his contract with Barca expires summer 2022, we will not be able to sell him and use the cash injection for future players.... much like the debacle with Messi...
Jun 07, 2022•7 min•Ep. 162
The BarcaBreakdown discuss the financial struggles for FC Barcelona, and how Laporta and the board may find revenue this summer. Unfortunately, as the season has ended, rumors are all around and many are speaking constantly about FC Barcelona's financial woes. We do indeed need to rebalance our books, which is looking increasingly hard with players like Umtiti, Lengelet, and Braithwaite (among others) who do not want to end their contracts with Barca this summer. The board does have many options...
Jun 05, 2022•9 min•Ep. 161
The BarcaBreakdown discuss the beginning of a wild summer, with rumors swirling that Manchester United want to buy Frenkie De Jong as Frenkie himself reiterates his desire to stay for the club. As Xavi, Laporta, and Frenkie have all come out in the last month reiterating the importance of Frenkie to Barca's new sporting project, it seems clear that the media and journalist are reporting any and every story for clicks. However, there may be some substance here, as Barca are clearly needing money ...
Jun 02, 2022•6 min•Ep. 160
The Barca Breakdown traveled to Spain to watch the final two games of the season against Getafe and Villareal. Unfortunately, Barca were not able to score in either game and the performances were uninspiring. The environment of the Camp Nou was something you will not be able to feel at home through the TV. It was a beautiful experience and a joy just to be in the presence of the fans and vibe. There was not much to fight for as Barca had solidified their place in second, but it was sad to see so...
May 26, 2022•15 min•Ep. 159
The Barca Breakdown discussed the victory at the 3-1 Camp Nou against Celta Vigo. With Busquets out on a yellow card, Nico and Pedri injured, Xavi decided to not start our only midfielder Puig. Instead he opted for a 4 man attacking front with Ferran, Aubameyang, Dembele, and Depay, leaving Frenkie and Gavi to cover the midfield. The line-up made Adam and Yusef nervous as not having Busquets was bad, but not having 3 midfielders sounded even worse. It is interesting to note even though this was ...
May 11, 2022•13 min•Ep. 158
The Barca Breakdown discussed the victory in Seville against Real Betis. This was an important game as a victory here was going to solidify Barca's placement in the Champions League. As the game was highly anticipated due to its importance, it left Barca fans biting their fingertips. The first half seemed totally disconnected and disorganized with Betis running around the Barca midfield. Despite a shaky half, Barca were able to hold betis off from scoring, The second half was not much different ...
May 07, 2022•11 min•Ep. 157
The Barca Breakdown discussed the upcoming match Real Betis in Seville. There is a lot to be won if Barca can defeat Betis. Not only are Betis 3 points behind Atletico Madrid for the 5th spot in the table, but Sevilla are only 2 points behind Barca fighting for the second place spot. With Real Madrid already securing the title, Barca need this win in hopes to maintain their Supercopa chances. However, in the last meeting Barca were defeated at the Camp Nou 0-1 with Juanmi scoring. It is importan...
May 06, 2022•25 min•Ep. 156
The Barca Breakdown discussed 3 points that were secured in match day 34 against Mallorca at the Camp Nou. With Dembele feeling under the weather, Xavi chose to start Depay on the left and moved Ferran Torres to the right wing. Of course, Pedri is out so Gavi started alongside Frenkie and Busi. In the back line, Pique started with Ronald Araujo, Jordi Alba, and Dani Alves. The first half was pretty lackluster and disorganized. A few breaks from Mallorca could have easily been scored, but their t...
May 01, 2022•9 min•Ep. 155
The Barca Breakdown discussed the atrocious loss at the Camp Nou against Rayo Vallecano. For the first time in history, Rayo has defeated FC Barcelona 2 times in a season. Xavi deployed the usual starters excluding Pedri due to injury. To think the team that defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu 0-4, has just lost 3 consecutive games at home. After losing to Frankfurt, Cadiz, and now Rayo, Barcelona find themselves at a strong potential to lose their top four standing. Heading into the first half...
Apr 24, 2022•14 min•Ep. 154
The Barca Breakdown discussed the defeat at the Camp Nou which ended Xavi's 3 month unbeaten streak. After a tough loss at home against Frankfurt, Barca played Cadiz. Normally, a team fighting relegation in 18th place would not cause such an upset; however it seems things are catching up to Barca. Xavi has not been able to rotate players enough causing tired legs and injuries after returning from the international break. Pique and Pedri were out due to injury and Araujo was suspended due to yell...
Apr 19, 2022•15 min•Ep. 153
The Barca Breakdown discussed the breakdown of Xavi's squads in the second leg against Frankfurt at the Camp Nou. Another big match in Europe where Barca were knocked out of the Europa League in a terrible performance. First and foremost, we think Xavi deployed a less than ideal starting XI with Minguza as RB and Gavi in for Frenkie De Jong. Even though we consider Aubameyang and Ferran Torres as regular starters, we believe after such poor performances from the duo that Xavi needed to try a dif...
Apr 15, 2022•16 min•Ep. 152
The Barca Breakdown discussed Matchday 31 where FC Barcelona faced off against the near relegated Levante. Notable changes Xavi employed were Nico in for Pedri and Araujo for Pique. The first half began with an awful performance. It seemed Barca had lost the fundamentals with passing off the mark and the lack of an ability to open the pitch. This was also exacerbated with Levantes keen defense and great man marking. While the frustration of the first half was overwhelming, Barca were able to hol...
Apr 10, 2022•15 min•Ep. 151
The Barca Breakdown discussed the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Europa League where FC Barcelona faced off in Germany against Eintracht Frankfurt. With Europa League most likely being Barca's only chance at a trophy this season, Xavi would have to prioritize the win in today's game. However, it seemed Xavi chose to rest some big players in the match. We saw Dembele and Frenkie De Jong on the bench for Traore and Gavi. Additionally, Pedri played on the pitch as a RCM and Gavi played as th...
Apr 08, 2022•15 min•Ep. 150
The Barca Breakdown discussed the return from the international break to face off against Sevilla. While we feared the possibility of Barca falling into the luls of returning from the international break, Xavi's men were ready to fight. The first half had a solid 25 minutes of moving the ball forward to create chances. However, as we saw during the game, Barca's performance went through many peaks and troughs. Dembele was continuously crossing the ball into the middle to create chances for ferra...
Apr 03, 2022•12 min•Ep. 149
The Barca Breakdown discuss the Sevilla La Liga match coming up as the 2nd and 3rd teams face off. Coming off the international break, we hope Xavi is able to recreate the magic we were seeing from the team, culminating in the 0-4 victory against Real Madrid in El Clasico. There are some interesting storylines for FC Barcelona as as the season comes to a close. Firstly, Ousmane Dembele and Barca are reportedly in talks again about signing a contract renewal. Sergino Dest being injured as well as...
Apr 02, 2022•15 min•Ep. 148
The Barca Breakdown discussed the utter DOMINATION as FC Barcelona won with 4 away goals against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. Aubamayeng, Ferran Torres, Araujo all scored, with Ousmane Dembele getting 2 assists. Though Real Madrid came out with a bit of resistance early, Carlo Ancelloti’s men were thoroughly outclassed by Xavi’s Barca, with free movement and beautiful passing throughout the game. Busquets, Frenkie De Jong, and Pedri were wonderful in the midfield, against a Real Madrid team that...
Mar 20, 2022•11 min•Ep. 147
The Barca Breakdown discussed the victory in Istanbul against Galatasaray to carry them through to the Quarter Finals. Barca were tied coming into the second leg on a 0-0 aggregate. Xavi decided to deploy Erica Garcia in place of Ronald Araujo alongside Pique, Dest, and Alba. In the midfield we had Frenki, Busquets, and Pedri. Lastly in the front Aubameyang, Torres, and Traore. The first half found Barca struggling to connect passes as well as they were susceptible to counter attacks. Even thoug...
Mar 18, 2022•14 min•Ep. 146
The BarcaBreakdown discuss the 4-0 victory of FC Barcelona over Osasuna. Two goals from Ferran Torres, one from Aubamayeng, and one from Riqui Puig helped FC Barcelona dominated Osasuna in La Liga, and gain retribution for the draw vs. Osasuna earlier in the season. Ousmane Dembele turned in an inspiring performance, with two great assists to Torres and Aubamayeng in the first half. The midfield of Pedri, Gavi and Busquets once again provided some magic, helping facilitate and control the game. ...
Mar 13, 2022•13 min•Ep. 145
The Barca Breakdown discussed the match of FC Barcelona v. Galatasaray in the Round of 16 of the Europa League. Barca came off a narrow victory against Elche over the weekend and the Breakdown hoped Barca would come back full throttle. Although, with our first impression of Xavi's line-up we were left a little uneasy. We saw Memphis Depay's first start since his injury in front with Ferran Torres and Traore. In the midfield, Nico started since Gavi was suspended with yellow cards alongside PEdri...
Mar 11, 2022•12 min•Ep. 144
The Barca Breakdown discussed the Barca victory against Elche to secure 3 points and 3rd place on the table. Xavi deployed Gavi as the leff wing, Dembele on the right wing, and Dani Alves as right back. We questioned the use of Gavi on the left especially after a lackluster and uninvolved performance. We were excited to see Dembele start but his presence didn't seem to create much. Unfortunately, Elche took advantage of the slow and old Dani Alves on the right back which resulted in the first go...
Mar 06, 2022•10 min•Ep. 143
The Barca Breakdown discussed the possible signing of Erling Haaland for 5 years on a 190M Euro deal. With the possibility of the CVC deal and the need for a great striker at FC Barcelona, Laporta wants to obtain Haaland possibly this summer. Many Barca fans want to see this especially after the inevitable signing of Mbappe to Real Madrid. Barca officially have signed Pablo Torre to Barca as a young midfielder from Real Sporting. A purchase that beat out Real Madrid and continues to bolster the ...
Mar 05, 2022•15 min•Ep. 142
The Barca Breakdown discussed the third victory in a row under the full throttle Xavi ball. Barca met Atheltic Bilbao at the Camp Nou, who knocked us out of the Copa Del Rey. Barca were also 2 games in hand and 4 points behind Betis on the table. Needless to say, this game was extremely important as Barca haven't been able to take advantage of these kinds of situations in recent history. Notable players on the pitch were Dest in place of Alba, Dani Alves as right back, and Gavi in for FDJ with B...
Feb 27, 2022•11 min•Ep. 141
The Barca Breakdown discussed the victory in the second leg of the Europa League against Napoli. In a wonderful performance, Barca seemed to have united in an international game looking for glory. Xavi deployed our January signings Torres, Aubameyang, and Traore in the attack. In the midfield, we had Busquets, Frenkie, and Pedri. Lastly our defensive backline, Alba, Pique, Aurajo, and Dest. The game began and Barca came out firing. An early counter from Aubameyang to Traore, Traore to Alba, and ...
Feb 25, 2022•11 min•Ep. 140
The Barca Breakdown discussed the upcoming game of FC Barcelona vs. Napoli in the second leg of the Europa League. After a very winnable first leg and the victory against Valencia over the weekend, it leaves the Breakdown feeling very hopeful that Barca can progress. There are a few changes that need to be made to solidify the victory. We discussed the lineup in the first leg and what changes Xavi needs to make. Namely, Dembele needs to start this game in place of Ferran Torres. Furthermore, Des...
Feb 23, 2022•13 min•Ep. 139
The Barca Breakdown discussed the wonderful performance against Valencia at the Mestalla. Prior to this game Barce were 6th on the table behind Villareal and Atletico Madrid who both won their games. However, Barca had 2 games in hand in this case. With today's victory, Barca are replaced in 4th tied with Atletico with a game in hand. First and foremost, Xavi deployed Dembele on the left wing, which we have been saying for weeks now, with Aubameyang and Ferran Torres. We saw Pedri get some rest ...
Feb 20, 2022•14 min•Ep. 138
The Barca Breakdown discussed the draw between Barcelona and Napoli in the Europa League. Coming into the game, Barca knew this would not be an easy game facing the 3rd place Italians. Although, with the acquisition of Ferran Torres, Adama Traore, Aubamayeng, and the recent performances, we had high hopes. The line up left fans with some surprises as Busquets and Gavi didn't start and we saw Minguza for Dest, Nico in the Midfield, and a trio of Aubamayeng, Torres, and Traore in the front. The ga...
Feb 18, 2022•15 min•Ep. 137
The Barca Breakdown discussed the chaotic Catalan Derby draw! With Dani Alves out with a red card in the Atletico Madrid game, we saw the same line up but with Dest in the back right. Barca opened the game in the 2' minute with a cross from Alba and Pedri scoring with one touch. As the game progressed, Barca slowly began to allow many opportunities and shots from Espanyol. This resulted in a goal from Darder to end the first half. The second half began with Araujo on the bench due to an injury i...
Feb 14, 2022•14 min•Ep. 136
The BarcaBreakdown discusses the huge 4-2 victory for FC Barcelona versus Atletico Madrid, in a huge match for the La Liga top four race. Huge goals by Jordi Alba, Gavi, Araujo, and Dani Alves helped FC Barcelona win against Atletico Madrid for the first time since December 2019. Though Atletico had a second half goal and looked to be in the advantage with Dani Alves’ red card, Barca stood strong and were able to weather the storm. Overall, a very huge performance for Xavi with winter signings A...
Feb 06, 2022•11 min•Ep. 135
The Barca Breakdown discussed the closing of the winter transfer window. While Barca could not offload Ousmane Dembele for some quick cash, Laporta and sporting director Alemany were able to accomplish some large feats despite the money issues plaguing the team. Firstly, Barca were able to sign Ferran Torres for about 50 million Euros, offload Coutinho on Loan to Aston Villa, and had Umtiti defer his payments over a longer period. But the biggest news is that Barca were able to acquire, on loan,...
Feb 01, 2022•12 min•Ep. 134
