Gerard Piqué's departure in January marked a turning point in the Barcelona captaincy. The departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in June confirmed the change of cycle in the select group of captains who, together with Sergi Roberto, could boast of their football origins.
Of that group of four leaders trained in La Masia, only Sergi Roberto follows. The man from Reus, who started last year as the third holder of the bracelet and finished last year as second captain, climbs one more step. Whenever he plays, he will be the team's leader and spokesperson on the pitch. His experience and his empathy are the two aspects that the players and the coaching staff value the most.
Second place will remain the property of goalkeeper Marc André Ter Stegen, who joined the leaders' club in January after Piqué's departure. Ter Stegen has not only gained more confidence on a sporting level after a great season in which he has won his first Zamora award. His teammates and coaching staff consider him a great leader also off the pitch. Involved, hardworking, a benchmark and hungry for titles.
The plan that remains in the locker room is for the squad to choose the other two leaders by voting. Having ruled out the arrival of Leo Messi who, if he had returned, would very likely be one of the captains due to his ancestry and importance in the club's history, the coaching staff is clear that criteria such as seniority will be ruled out in the vote . A factor that would have elevated Ousmane Dembélé to the captaincy – 23-24 will be his seventh season at the club. It remains to be seen what happens with Frenkie de Jong, a footballer who will celebrate five years at Barcelona this season and who has also gained ascendancy in the team. An element that will be transcendental in the vote just like personality, leadership or charisma.
In this sense, Ronald Araújo and Robert Lewandowski are seen in the locker room as strong candidates. Respected by their teammates and also by the coaching staff, they have been two of the leaders of the team without a bracelet. Araújo, a footballer who is also much loved by the fans and valued for his determination and overwhelming personality, has four seasons in the first team to which must be added two more seasons in the subsidiary.
For his part, Robert Lewandowski has acted as a mentor to the youngest and as a goalscorer in his first year at Barcelona. His role has also been essential in convincing Ilkay Gündogan that Barcelona should be his next destination. The former City captain, who will be presented today in the sports city, coincided with the German for three seasons at Borussia Dortmund. Since then they have maintained a close friendship. Gundogan will not officially be captain but in the sports city they consider that the former City player has the material to be a leader without an armband. It all adds up.
