The Gamper, a film premiere for Barcelona

The photograph that will be seen today of Barcelona bears little resemblance to the one from a year ago in the Blaugrana's Joan Gamper trophy.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
06 August 2022 Saturday 21:50
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The Gamper, a film premiere for Barcelona

The photograph that will be seen today of Barcelona bears little resemblance to the one from a year ago in the Blaugrana's Joan Gamper trophy. Moods could not be more disparate. From depression to illusion. From the painful goodbye to Messi to the euphoric welcome to Lewandowski and Koundé, presented this week. Last year's trophy was still played in a state of shock at Leo's farewell since it was not even ten hours since the Argentine had broken down inconsolably crying. 365 days later, the stands were filled with enthusiasm with more than 50,000 people to see and cheer Lewandowski with the 9 Blaugrana.

Two indelible impacts, for the bad then, for the good now. The Barça that appears this afternoon at the Spotify Camp Nou against the Mexican Pumas raises the flag of ambition. Its president and the sports leadership have done it during the market in which 153 million euros have been spent (so far) and now it's up to the signings, the captains, the young talents of the house and the coach, Xavi Hernández, endorse it in the field.

The Blaugrana club has left behind the melancholy, has forgotten the stage of economic hardship and hopes to overcome a time when it was not up to par. For this, he has put together a team prepared to compete again with the greats for important titles after three years in which he has barely been able to lift a Copa del Rey.

Barcelona fans will be able to see first-hand the boost that the reinforcements of Christensen, Kessie, Raphinha, Lewandowski and Koundé mean for the Blaugrana. There is defensive solidity and courage in the back start. The creation and arrival from the center of the field is increased. And the imbalance in the band multiplies and the smell in front of goal. For the first time all five will play. It will be a premiere Gamper, although the template is not yet closed.

Nothing to do with a year ago, when Neto, Griezmann, Braithwaite and Demir started against Juventus. Manaj, Emerson, Riqui Puig, Umtiti or Collado entered the second part. Kun Agüero, injured, could not wear shorts and was later forced to retire prematurely due to a heart condition. Many are gone, others are on the exit ramp and none will be important in the 22-23 project. Xavi has also mentioned the discards, who risk hearing whistles.

The trophy, created in 1966, recovers in this edition two of its founding points that made it a focus of attraction. On the one hand, it is the team's first game at home after the four-game tour of the United States and the friendly in Olot –something that has not happened in recent times– and, on the other, it is a week away from its debut in the League, within six days, against Lightning.

Also for Xavi it ​​is his first debut. Landed in November with the season underway to replace Koeman, he has been able to work since the beginning of the course. The Terrassa coach, involved in convincing the signings with several calls, is an optimist by nature but is also aware of the enthusiasm that has been generated around the team. The coach will have the opportunity to stimulate the audience by addressing the stands at the presentation. “Fasten your seatbelts. We will have a good time, ”said Guardiola in his first speech. “We really want to make the Catalans happy. This year's goals are to win titles, play good football and, above all, make the fans happy, who deserve it”, Xavi sets himself goals, in statements to Barça TV.

They do not appear in the photo that the club took yesterday and that illustrates this page as the latest signings, but neither Ferran Torres nor Aubameyang, who arrived in winter, know what it is like to play Gamper at home. While Eric Garcia, who was in August 2021 at the Tokyo Games, and Gavi, with a broken jaw, were not in the 3-0 win over Juventus either.

All of them will be protagonists of a major party that returns to normal. The last two editions of the Barça trophy were clearly affected by the pandemic. In 2020, the rival was Elche and the match was played at the Estadi behind closed doors. In 2021, within a new wave of infections, it was decided to move the meeting to the Johan Cruyff, where 2,900 spectators gathered. The Gamper returns home and with a large audience. He is once again the Gamper of always. A movie premiere for a Barça that, in a year, has renewed the squad, the bench and the illusion.