Barcelona target trophy boost in Spanish Super Cup final against Athletic Bilbao

A delay to the club's vote on the next president is the latest in a long line of problems for the Catalan club

Frenkie de Jong scores for Barcelona during their Spanish Super Cup semi-final victory over Real Sociedad. Reuters

Barcelona's Pedri misses a chance in the semi-final. Reuters

Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong celebrates his goal. AFP

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen makes a save from Real Sociedad's Joseba Zaldua. Reuters

Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal of Real Sociedad scores a penalty to make score 1-1. Getty

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, centre, sits with substitutes during the match. AFP

Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ousmane Dembele celebrate. AP

Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen saves a penalty during the shootout after the score finished 1-1 after extra-time. AP

Barcelona players celebrate after winning the penalty shootout. Reuters

Barcelona's Ricard Puig scores the fifth and winning penalty in the shootout. Getty

Barcelona players celebrate their victory over Real Sociedad. EPA

Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong after missing a penalty during the shootout. Reuters

By now, Barcelona Football Club should be used to living in a state of limbo. Their inspiration, Lionel Messi has been weighing up whether to stay or go for the best part of a year.

They have been without a president since October and on Friday the club’s 100,000-odd members were informed that the vote to elect a replacement had been postponed until, most likely, early March.

Public health concerns motivated the delay of an election that had been due next to take place next weekend. The notion of tens of thousands of voters travelling to polling stations is deemed, during the coronavirus pandemic, unnecessarily risky.

With no effective executive in charge until the elections, any activity in the January transfer window becomes far less viable.

Barcelona need a centre-back, and manager Ronald Koeman would like a high-class striker. Talks with Manchester City for the transfer of the central defender Eric Garcia are now likely to be shelved until the player is out of contract in June while Koeman may have to settle with what he has in his effort to boost the Barcelona forward line.

Whether he has Messi, who has been struggling with a calf problem, even for Sunday's match – let alone beyond the summer, when the captain Barcelona is available to move for free – is also a decision that has to wait. Messi has travelled with the squad for Barcelona’s meeting with Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Spanish Super Cup, in Seville.

It is a showpiece that fits awkwardly into the mid-season calendar but has an attractive look for a club whose decline over the last 18 months is measured in their lack of silverware.

For much of his career, Messi could afford to be snooty about relatively minor trophies. After all, he has 34 winner's medals across competitions from his 15 years as a senior Barcelona player. But he has not collected club prize since the Liga title of 2019, so this Super Cup, now part of an expanded four-club tournament, acquires an extra sheen.

Barcelona certainly took the Super Cup seriously last January, when its fresh format – semi-finals and a final – was launched in Saudi Arabia, and Atletico Madrid knocked out Barca before losing to Real Madrid in the final.

Barcelona sacked Ernesto Valverde as their manager when they returned. Their then sports director Eric Abidal publicly accused the players losing faith in Valverde and Messi reacted angrily to that suggestion. It was the beginning of a spiral of mistrust, anger and failure on the pitch.

Barcelona remain brittle, but Koeman can feel reassured that his injury-hit, budget-constrained squad are in the best form of his tenure.

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Gallery: Bilbao beat Real in Super Cup semi-final

Athletic Bilbao players celebrate after Raul Garcia scored their first goal against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final. Bilbao won the game 2-1. Reuters

Raul Garcia celebrates with Inaki Williams after scoring against Real Madrid during the Spanish Super Cup semi final. AFP

Athletic Bilbao's Raul Garcia celebrates with Inaki Williams after scoring against Real Madrid. Reuters

Raul Garcia scores Athletic Bilbao's second goal from the penalty spot. Reuters

Raul Garcia celebrates with Ander Capa after scoring Athletic Bilbao's second goal. Getty Images

Real Madrid's Luka Modric, right, vies for the ball with Athletic Bilbao's Raul Garcia. AP

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos goes for a header with Athletic Bilbao's Mikel Balenziaga. AP Photo

Athletic Bilbao's players celebrate winning the Spanish Super Cup semi final. EPA

Athletic Bilbao's players celebrate after winning the Spanish Super Cup semi final. AFP

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after the Spanish Super Cup defeat. Getty Images

Sergio Ramos reacts after a missed chance during the Super Cup semi-final. Getty Images

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, left, scores past Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simon. AP Photo

Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring during the Spanish Super Cup semi final. AFP

Real Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez controls the ball during the Spanish Super Cup semi final. AFP

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The Dutchman, who turned down the offer to be Valverde’s immediate replacement 12 months ago, but accepted the job last August, has overseen a run of nine games without defeat, including the victory, on penalties, against Real Sociedad that pushed Barcelona into Sunday's final.

Messi missed that tense, end-to-end tie, and Koeman will take a late decision, in consultation with medical staff and the Barcelona captain himself on what part he is fit enough to play against Athletic. But the victory over Sociedad has boosted belief that Barca can eke out results without their skipper.

“I was very proud of all the players,” said Koeman of the semi-final win. “Our overall game is improving and so are our concentration levels.”

He praised goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who added three saves in the shoot-out to his excellent display over the preceding 120 minutes, and midfielder Riqui Puig, who volunteered to take the pressured, last Barcelona penalty. “He put his hand up when I asked,” said Koeman, who has had a prickly relationship with 21-year-old Puig at times.

Koeman generally backs the cohort of younger players in a squad whose resources are stretched by injuries to the likes of Gerard Pique, Sergo Roberto and Philippe Coutinho.

Ansu Fati, the teenage star, is also out until March, but winger Pedri, 18, full-back Sergino Dest, 20, and defender Oscar Mingueza have grown in confidence over the last month.

A first senior trophy in Barcelona colours for any of them, or for centre-back Ronald Araujo or winger Trincao, both 21, would feel like a coming-of-age, and arm a Barcelona where so much seems paralized for stiff challenges ahead.

In a month’s time, they host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, and, in the domestic table, they trail leaders Atletico Madrid by seven points, having played two fixtures more. Messi would advise his young colleagues that any prizes from what may well be his last season at Barcelona are not going to be easily grasped.

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Gallery: Real Madrid win 2020 Super Cup

Real Madrid celebrate after winning the 2020 Spanish Super Cup final against Atletico Madrid at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. AP Photo

Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos and teammates celebrate after the match. AFP

Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois celebrates winning the Super Cup. Reuters

Real Madrid's Isco, Federico Valverde and Alphonse Areola celebrate. Reuters

Real Madrid players celebrate after winning the Spanish Super Cup final. EPA

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos (L) receives the Cup. EPA

Sergio Ramos celebrates after scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout. EPA

Real Madrid players. EPA

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saves a penalty during the shootout. EPA

Atletico Madrid's Koke looks dejected as he poses in front of the trophy. Reuters

Atletico Madrid players look dejected during the penalty shootout before Real Madrid win the Super Cup. Reuters

Supporters of Real Madrid cheer during the Spanish Super Cup Final match between Atletico Madrid FC and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, January 12, 2020. EPA/ALI ALQARNI

Real Madrid's Luka Jovic, left, fights for the ball with Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey during the Spanish Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, January12, 2020. AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

Atletico Madrid players react at the end of the Spanish Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, January 13, 2020. AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

From left to right, Real Madrid's Casemiro, Real Madrid's Marcelo, Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid's Eder Militao and Real Madrid's Rodrygo celebrate end the Spanish Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at King Abdullah stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, January 12, 2020. AP Photo/Hassan Ammar