Coaching hires are a crapshoot and Xavi doesn't have much of a record to go on. But he's Xavi. So, sure, why wouldn't Barcelona give him a shot? Maybe he'll turn out like his old boss Pep, or like Simeone. Read more »
Barcelona Analysis
Barcelona Is Asking A Lot Of Club Legend Turned Novice Manager
La Liga's Big Three Enter Season In Varying Degrees Of Chaos
Real Madrid have some healing to do, Barcelona are hard up for cash, and Atleti simply need to prep for the season. Read more »
La Liga Ain't What It Used To Be
As ever, Real Madrid and Barcelona will decide which direction this whole enterprise goes. And Atleti will have their days, knowing that they don't run the show but do occasionally get to star in it. Read more »
With Or Without Lionel Messi, Barcelona Embark On A New Era
All beginnings need to start somewhere. A new era of Barcelona was overdue whether it was structured by Laporta, forced by debt, and with or without Messi. Read more »
Future Fans, Legacy Supporters, An Eventual Return To The Status Quo
In an age of hyperbole, we immediately recognized the significance of the potential Super League. But the day of truth was still surreal even considering the years of rumors that prepared our reactions for when theory turned reality. Read more »
The Super League Died But They're Not Through Tearing Things Down
The richest clubs in Europe were ready to detonate the sport as we know it: bleaching identities, cheapening domestic leagues, starving a great many clubs that are rich in history if not in funds. Read more »
Spain & Luis Enrique Turn To New Pipelines During La Liga's Struggles
In examining the relationship between a domestic league and its national team, you could even argue an inverse strength with exported players able to bring back different experiences to international play. Read more »
Barcelona Balance Revenue And Debt For The Super League Era
Why wouldn't Barcelona’s board spend recklessly: is the club actually going to go out of business? European football needs Barcelona as much as Barcelona needs European football. Read more »
Lionel Messi, Advertising & The Weight Of Jersey Numbers
When Messi and Tevez paid tribute with their jerseys, it was to bring Maradona to the present. But it was also Tevez and Messi, along with us, reaching back to the simplicity of the past. Read more »
Diego Maradona, Who Gave Us Meaning
There was always a distance, an invisible glass, that could never be breached with Maradona. We were below, and he stood above as we never intersected on the same plane. Read more »
Stasis & Opulence: La Liga's Identity Remains In Flux
What becomes of an identity if it is no longer true? We could find out this season as the state of La Liga's two superpowers has opened up a space for a host of other clubs. Read more »
Lionel Messi Will Define La Liga's Season, Again
Lionel Messi is staying, but the storylines, rumors and narratives aren't over. We'll go through the cycle again next summer as Messi's contract expires. Between now and then, we'll examine everything. Read more »
Thiago Or Nothing: The Midfielder Bridges Two Eras At Bayern Munich
Even with the trophies and virality, are we right to believe that Thiago is still underrated? He's akin to a critically acclaimed indie movie or classic novel: we've heard of him, we've heard critics talk glowing about him, but have we really understood? Read more »
Lionel Messi's Patience With Barcelona Has Finally Run Out
Lionel Messi is both demanding and passive-aggressive in the way that star athletes often are, and he's right to be upset about how Barcelona have wasted his unparalleled talents with squads that haven't worked or even made much sense. Read more »
Pep Guardiola Overthinks In Europe Again
Several European clubs-turned-global brands who made the Champions League their obsession fall short every season. So why are we so fixated on Pep Guardiola, who at least won two titles with Barcelona last decade? Read more »
Pique, Penalty Conspiracies & Building Narratives In The VAR Age
Wouldn't we rather blame important losses on referee bias? Which side a supporter empathizes with becomes a footballing Rorschach test of how the world works, whether the smaller club always falling short, or the champion pulling every string to victory. Read more »
32 Straight Days: La Liga Reinforces Its Structure To Finish Season
Regardless of whether there are 32 straight days of matches in empty stadiums, or the slow drip of a season played out over nine months, the fundamental truths remain, of how clubs with the most resources somehow always find their way to the top. Read more »
Vincius Junior Drives Real Madrid & El Clasico Into A New Decade
The latest Clasico highlighted how Real Madrid are investing heavily into developing young players, while Barcelona are the ones buying established, superstar names that may or may not fit into the larger team. Read more »
How Kobe Bryant Also Belonged To Soccer
Kobe Bryant never forgot his soccer roots even as he became a generation-defining athlete in his new sport. And as evidenced by the tributes following his passing, the soccer world also never forgot about Bryant. Read more »
La Liga Match Abstract: Barcelona 1, Granada 0
The result was important, but most of all, the play reflected a nostalgia and familiarity of past sides. Can Barcelona play like this against Napoli in the Champions League? That question is beside the main point, for now. Read more »