“Maybe the expectations are too great,” suggested the coach of Barcelona after a dispiriting first 90 minutes in what is billed as the grand relaunch of a troubled club.
Xavi had overseen the competitive debuts in Barca colours of Robert Lewandowski, serial Golden Boot, of Franck Kessie, freshly signed from Italian champions AC Milan, and the €60m Raphinha, who 24 hours earlier Xavi had likened to Rivaldo and Neymar.
Over 80,000 came to Camp Nou to see the new faces. They witnessed a 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano. “We need to get better and keep believing in the model,” insisted Xavi.
The model that has enabled Barcelona to commit more than €180m to new signings so far in this transfer window is radical. The club came into 2022 weighed down by debts in excess of €1 billion, and restricted by La Liga rules which impose strict limits on the balance of income to outgoings.
To bring in fresh players, Barcelona had to bring in fresh money. They have done so by selling off stakes in future commercial revenue, a large tranche of the €800m they raised in a very short time coming from granting 25 per cent of their broadcast-rights income to a US investment firm for the next quarter-century.
Some of that money bought Lewandowski, Raphinha, and pays Kessie’s salary, and that of re-signed Ousmane Dembele - his previous contract with the Barcelona he joined in 2017 expired at the end of June. The cash injection just about allowed them to be registered with La Liga, though the sums are still tight. Last week, there was still not enough space in the revised club budgets to register another new big-money recruit, defender Jules Kounde.
Barcelona ratings v Rayo Vallecano
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BARCELONA RATINGS: Marc-Andre ter Stegen - 7. Excellent one-handed save from Alvaro Garcia in the first half – against a team which beat Barcelona home and away last season. The German was also far quicker to move the ball than his opposite, who was booed by the vast 81,104 crowd for time wasting. Getty -
Ronald Araujo - 6. Started, oddly, at right back and seldom looked comfortable there. AFP -
Eric Garcia - 6. Still to fully convince as a top centre half for Barca. AFP -
Adreas Christensen - 8. Calm in central defence on his debut for a side with 68 per cent of possession in the first half, though his boss often instructed him from the side. The best of the debutants and his tackle stopped Rayo getting another winner at Camp Nou. Getty -
Jordi Alba - 6. Attacked, didn’t always make the right option when he did. AFP -
Pedri - 7. Curled a shot wide after 35 and his side tried and failed to break down a very well organised side. The best midfielder, but none of his heroics from the Gamper win a week ago. AFP -
Gavi - 5. The man on the 10-man shortlist for the Kopa Trophy, currently held by Pedri, which is given to the best player under the age of 21, but he was the poorest of his side’s midfielders. Reuters -
Sergio Busquets - 4. Sent off injury time after a poor performance. Frenkie de Jong could be the one who takes advantage of his ban. Reuters -
Ousmane Dembele - 6. Shot on target after 34 amid Barca pressure and then set up Pedri. Booked. A threat, but Rayo’s defence were excellent. AFP -
Robert Lewandowski - 6. Put the ball in the net after 12 but it was offside. Headed over after 36 and battled with Catena. Had only one shot and two touches in the Rayo box in the first half. More involved in the second and shot just wide after 81. EPA -
Raphinha - 5. Barca used the debutant to get at Rayo on the left wing, with limited success. AFP -
SUBS: Frenkie De Jong (Gavi 59') - 7. Made front page news for most of the week before the game. Swung a 69th minute free-kick towards goal but no teammate got on the end of it. Brought energy and opportunity in the shape of two top chances to his side. Deserves to start. AFP -
Sergi Roberto (Christensen 60') - 5. Did little of note. EPA -
Ansu Fati (Raphinha 61') - 7. Curled a shot on target on 65 as the Catalans pushed and pushed. His exciting runs brought fans to their feet. Reuters -
Franck Kessie - 7. Midfielder who impressed pre-season and did that against Rayo. Barca didn’t play badly, Rayo were excellent. Reuters -
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Alba 81') - N/A. Fans were singing his name. Shot wide after 84 and Rayo held firm for an incredible draw. AFP
Xavi has been assured Kounde will soon be available, perhaps as soon as this weekend’s trip to Real Sociedad, while he learns fast that his job entails monitoring not just fitness issues but looking, hour-by-hour, how the budget is balancing up. He hears awkward conversations among long-serving players who used to be his teammates, like Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, about the pay reductions they have been pressured to take in order that Barca can be so aggressive in spending on new recruits.
In the nine months since Xavi, 42, was invited to leave Al Sadd in Qatar and take over at the club he used to captain, the choices in front of him have transformed. Rewind to Xavi’s first match as coach, a derby against Espanyol in November. Barca finished with a front quartet of Philippe Coutinho, Memphis Depay and the teenagers Ez Abde and Yusuf Demir closing out a 1-0 win.
Coutinho, the costliest signing in Barca history back in 2018, has since been sold, at a massive loss, to Aston Villa. Demir is back in his native Austria. Depay, last season’s top scorer for Barca, and Abde are being touted for sale.
Fast forward to the standout result of Xavi’s short tenure so far, a 4-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in March. It finished with Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore across the three striking positions. The trio had all arrived in the January transfer window, space in the budget for Torres, payment of whose €60m transfer fee from Manchester City had been staggered long into the future, and Aubameyang, who cancelled his existing contract at Arsenal, eked out partly thanks to the loan of Coutinho to Villa. Traore, a graduate of Barcelona’s academy, was on loan from Wolves.
Traore has since returned to England. Aubameyang, who in a half-season matched Depay’s 13 goals in the whole of 2021/22, may soon follow him there, so busy have been the shifts in the hierarchy. Torres, like Aubameyang, sense that Xavi’s preferred front three now is Dembele, Lewandowski and Raphinha.
The high turnover sets particular challenges for Xavi. But no coach of his age or experience would not envy the resources granted to him. The level of spending puts a huge trust in a manager who has been in charge of Barcelona for just 38 games so far.
His triumph last season was to guide the team up from ninth in the table to runners-up - by 13 points - behind Real Madrid. Yet his ratio of wins-to-matches is still shy, at 52 per cent, of the overall records of his three predecessors, Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien, and Ronald Koeman.
“I accept the pressure,” said Xavi ahead of the tough-looking Real Sociedad fixture. Barca have broken the bank to equip him with a world-class squad. They need him to make the financial gambles pay off.
150 summer transfers - in pictures
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Perr Schuurs - Ajax to Torino (£8m). AFP -
Paco Alcacer - Villarreal to Sharjah (loan). Getty Images -
Matheus Nunes - Sporting to Wolves (£38m). AFP -
Tanguy Nianzou - Bayern Munich to Sevilla (£16.9m). AFP -
Alan Virginius - Sochaux to Lille (£3.8m). AFP -
Thilo Kehrer - PSG to West Ham (£10.1m). Getty Images -
Pervis Estupinan - Villarreal to Brighton (£15.1m). Getty Images -
Destiny Udogie - Udinese to Tottenham (£15.1m). Loaned back to Udinese. Reuters -
Sergio Gomez - Anderlecht to Manchester City (£11m). Photo: Manchester City -
Alex Collado - Barcelona to Elche (loan). AFP -
Remo Freuler - Atalanta to Nottingham Forest (£9m). AP -
Marc Bartra - Real Betis to Tranbzonspor (undisclosed fee). Getty Images -
Giovani Lo Celso - Tottenham to Villarreal (loan). Getty Images -
Cheikhou Kouyate - Crystal Palace to Nottingham Forest (free). Getty Images -
Emmanuel Dennis - Watford to Nottingham Forest (£20m). Getty Images -
Nico González - Barcelona to Valencia (loan). AP Photo -
Luca Pellegrini - Juventus to Eintracht Frankfurt (loan). AFP -
Daniel Wass - Atletico Madrid to Brondby (£1.7m). EPA -
Pablo Marí - Arsenal to Monza (loan). AP -
Dries Mertens - Napoli to Galatasaray (free). AFP -
Jordan Veretout - Roma to Marseille (£9.3m). Reuters -
Christian Benteke - Crystal Palace to DC United (undisclosed fee). AFP -
Maxwell Cornet - West Ham United to Burnley (£17.5m). PA -
Georginio Wijnaldum - PSG to Roma (loan). AFP -
Lucas Torreira - Arsenal to Galatasaray (£5m). AFP -
Marc Cucurella - Brighton to Chelsea (£55m). Getty Images -
Ademola Lookman - RB Leipzig to Atalanta (£12.6m). PA via AP -
Renato Sanches - Lille to Paris Saint-Germain (£12.6m). AFP -
Riqui Puig - Barcelona to LA Galaxy (free). AP Photo -
Alex Telles - Manchester United to Sevilla (loan). AFP -
Carney Chukwuemeka - Aston Villa to Chelsea (£20m). Reuters -
Kasper Schmeichel - Leicester City to Nice (£1m). AFP -
Mattia Viti - Empoli to Nice (£10.9m). AFP -
Gabriel Slonina - Chicago Fire to Chelsea (£8.3m). Reuters -
Bernd Leno - Arsenal to Fulham (£3m). AFP -
Charles De Ketelaere - Club Brugge to AC Milan (£26.8m). AFP -
Joe Rodon - Tottenham to Stade Rennais (loan). AFP -
Borja Mayoral - Real Madrid to Getafe (£8.4m). EPA -
Cesc Fabregas - Monaco to Como (free). EPA -
Alexis Beka Beaka - Lokomotiv Moscow to Nice (£11.7m). AFP -
Marcus Tavernier -Middlesbrough to Bournemouth (£10m). Getty Images -
Aaron Ramsey - Juventus to Nice (free). AFP -
Orel Mangala - Stuttgart to Nottingham Forest (£12.7m). AFP -
David Raum - Hoffenheim to RB Leipzig (£21.8m). Getty Images -
Oscar Mingueza - Barcelona to Celta Vigo (£2.5m). Getty Images -
Jules Kounde - Sevilla to Barcelona (£45m). AFP -
Dwight McNeil - Burnley to Everton (£20m). Getty Images -
Arnaud Kalimuendo - PSG to Rennes (£21m). Getty Images -
Filip Kostic - Eintracht Frankfurt to Juventus (£14.4m). EPA -
Salvatore Sirigu - Genoa to Napoli (free). Reuters -
Mikkel Damsgaard - Sampdoria to Brentford (£12.7m). EPA -
Malang Sarr - Chelsea to Monaco (loan). AFP -
Issa Diop - West Ham United to Fulham (£15m). Getty Images -
Alexis Sanchez - Internazionale to Marseille (free). Getty Images -
Timo Werner - Chelsea to RB Leipzig (£18m). AP -
Amadou Onana - Llle to Everton (£33.8m). AFP -
Emirhan Ilkhan - Besiktas to Torino (£3.8m). PA -
Gonçalo Guedes - Valencia to Wolves (£27.5m). AP Photo -
Conor Coady - Wolves to Everton (loan). Getty Images -
Anthony Modeste - Cologne to Borussia Dortmund (£3.8m). EPA -
Angeliño - RB Leipzig to Hoffenheim (loan). Getty Images -
Marcos Senesi - Feyenoord to Bournemouth (£12.6m). AFP -
Isco - Real Madrid to Sevilla (free). EPA -
Raheem Sterling - Manchester City to Chelsea (£50m). Getty Images -
Lisandro Martinez - Ajax to Manchester United (£46m). Getty Images -
Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich to Barcelona (£38.3m). AFP -
Hugo Ekitike - Reims to Paris Saint-Germain (loan). AFP -
Thomas Henry - Venezia to Verona (£3.8m). Getty Images -
Takefusa Kubo - Real Madrid to Real Sociedad (£5.2m). Getty Images -
Kalidou Koulibaly - Napoli to Chelsea (£33.8m). EPA -
Chancel Mbemba - Porto to Marseille (free). EPA -
Breel Embolo - Borussa Monchengladbach to Monaco (£10.6m). EPA -
Christian Eriksen - Brentford to Manchester United (free). PA -
Raphinha - Leeds United to Barcelona (£49m). Getty Images -
Federico Bernardeschi - Juventus to Toronto FC (free). Getty Images -
Andrea Cambiaso - Genoa to Juventus (£5.9m). Getty Images -
Arturo Vidal - Inter Milan to Flamengo (free). Getty Images -
Mohamed Bayo - Clermont to Lille (£11.8m). AFP -
Francisco Trincao - Barcelona to Sporting (loan). Getty Images -
Samu Castillejo - AC Milan to Valencia (undisclosed fee). PA -
Lewis Ferguson - Aberdeen to Bologna (£3m). PA -
Keane Lewis-Potter - Hull City to Brentford (£16m). PA -
Alessio Romagnoli - AC Milan to Lazio (free). Getty Images -
Nathan Collins - Burnley to Wolves (£20.5m). PA -
Andriy Yarmolenko - West Ham United to Al Ain (free). AP Photo -
David Ospina - Napoli to Al Nassr (free). Getty Images -
Kristian Thorstvedt - Genk to Sassuolo (£8.4m). Reuters -
Andreas Pereira -Manchester United to Fulham ( £10m). Getty Images -
Gabriel Jesus - Manchester City to Arsenal (£45m). Getty Images -
Steven Bergwijn - Tottenham Hotspur to Ajax (£26.5m). AP Photo -
Andreas Christensen - Chelsea to Barcelona (free). AFP -
Sébastien Haller - Ajax to Borussia Dortmund (£30.8m). AFP -
Flynn Downes - Swansea City to West Ham United (£12m). PA -
Junior Messias - Crotone to AC Milan (£3.8m). Reuters -
Luis Sinisterra - Feyenoord to Leeds United (£21.3m). AFP -
Brais Méndez - Celta Vigo to Real Sociedad (£12.8m). Getty Images -
Moussa Niakhaté - Mainz to Nottingham Forest (£8.7m). Getty Images -
Romeo Lavia - Manchester City to Southmpton (£12m). AP Photo -
Tyler Adams - RB Leipzig to Leeds United (£20m). AP -
Axel Witsel - Borussia Dortmund to Atletico Madrid (free). EPA -
Maya Yoshida - Sampdoria to Schalke (free). AP Photo -
Tyrell Malacia - Feyenoord to Manchester United (£12.9m). AP Photo -
Zeki Celik - Lille to Roma (£6m). AFP -
Ritsu Doan - PSV Eindhoven to Freiburg (£6.5m). AFP -
Divock Origi - Liverpool to AC Milan (free). AFP -
Rolando Mandragora - Torino to Fiorentina (£7m). EPA -
Joao Palhinha - Sporting to Fulham (£17m). Getty Images -
Franck Kessie - AC Milan to Barcelona (free). Getty Images -
Trezeguet - Aston Villa to Trabzonspor (£3.4m). AFP -
Kalvin Phillips - Leeds United to Manchester City (£45m). Reuters -
Giulian Biancone - Troyes to Nottingham Forest (£5m). AFP -
Giuliano Simeone - Atletico Madrid to Real Zaragoza (loan). EPA -
Raoul Bellanova - Cagliari to Inter Milan (loan). Getty Images -
Richarlison - Everton to Tottenham (£50 million). PA -
Fabio Carvalho - Fulham to Liverpool (£5 million). PA -
James Tarkowski Burnley to Everton (free). Getty Images -
Sime Vrsaljko - Atletico Madrid to Olympiakos (free). AP Photo -
Dean Henderson - Manchester United to Nottingham Forest (loan). PA -
Luuk de Jong - Sevilla to PSV Eindhoven (£3.4m). AP Photo -
Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Roma to Inter Milan (free). Reuters -
Cenk Tosun - Everton to Besiktas (free). Reuters -
Andre Onana - Ajax to Inter Milan (free). Getty -
Moussa Sissoko - Watford to Nantes (£2m). AFP -
Corentin Tolisso - Bayern Munich to Lyon (free). AFP -
Vitinha - Porto to Paris Saint-Germain (£34m). AFP -
Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea to Inter Milan (loan). PA -
Lorenzo Insigne - Napoli to Toronto FC (free). AP -
Sven Botman - Lille to Newcastle United (£31.9m). AFP -
Takumi Minamino - Liverpool to Monaco (£15.5m). Getty Images -
Alphonse Areola - Paris Saint-Germain to West Ham United (£7.8m). AFP -
Lucas Leiva - Lazio to Gremo (free). Getty Images -
Joselu - Alaves to Espanyol (free). Getty Images -
Matt Turner - New England Revolution to Arsenal (£4.7m). Reuters -
Fernandinho - Manchester City to Athletico Paranaense (free). PA -
Bartol Franjic - Dinamo Zagreb to Wolfsburg (£6.9m). Getty Images -
Wahbi Khazri - Saint-Etienne to Montpellier (free). AFP -
Tobias Figueiredo - Hull City to Nottingham Forest (free). PA -
Pietro Pellegri - Monaco to Tornio (£3.9m). Getty Images -
Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City. Getty Images -
Malcolm Ebiowei - Derby County to Crystal Palace (undisclosed). PA -
Taiwo Awoniyi - Union Berlin to Nottingham Forest (£17m). Getty Images -
Gareth Bale - Real Madrid to Los Angeles FC (free). PA -
Lucas Alario - Bayer Leverkusen to Eintracht Frankfurt (£5.6m). PA -
Sadio Mane - Liverpool to Bayern Munich (£28m). Getty Images -
Armindo Sieb - Bayern Munich to Greuther Fürth (undisclosed fee). Getty Images -
Nick Pope - Burnley to Newcastle (£10m). PA -
Ki-Jana Hoever - Wolves to PSV Eindhoven (loan). PA -
Ryan Fredericks - West Ham United to Bournemouth (free). Getty Images -
Mario Götze - PSV Eindhoven to Eintracht Frankfurt (£3.4m). Getty Images -
Fabio Vieira - Porto to Arsenal (£30m). EPA -
Antonio Rudiger - Chelsea to Real Madrid (free). PA -
Merih Demiral - Juventus to Atalanta (£17.2m). AFP -
Giovanni Simeone - Cagliari to Hellas Verona (£10.3m). AP -
Marc Roca - Bayern Munich to Leeds United (£10m). PA -
Yves Bissouma - Brighton to Tottenham (£25m). PA -
Gavin Bazunu - Manchester City to Southampton (£12m). PA -
Darwin Nunez - Benfica to Liverpool (£64.3m). PA -
Aurelien Tchouameni - Monaco to Real Madrid (£85.3m). AFP -
Nemanja Matic - Manchester United to Roma (free). EPA -
Ryan Gravenberch - Ajax to Bayern Munich (£20m). EPA -
Giorgio Chiellini - Juventus to Los Angeles FC (released). Getty Images -
Cameron Carter-Vickers - Tottenham to Celtic (£6m). AFP -
Alexandre Lacazette - Arsenal to Lyon (free transfer). AFP
