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The day that Barcelona's fanbase postponed from their thoughts for the past several years may finally be here after all. In a fax message that will likely pass into legend, Lionel Messi informed the Barcelona board yesterday that he would no longer like to remain a part of a club that he has been associated with for the past two decades.
It is no secret that Lionel Messi does not get along with the Barcelona board. The Blaugrana's incompetent administration has run the club into the ground with its lack of foresight and has left its successors to rebuild what was once of the most powerful forebearers of football in Europe.
Barcelona will have to find a way to compensate for Lionel Messi's departure
Lionel Messi has dragged Barcelona past the finish line on several occasions over the past few seasons. Barcelona is one of the worst-run clubs in the world at the moment and has suffered consecutive humiliations in the Champions League despite Lionel Messi's presence.
Barcelona has an insurmountable amount of work to do over the next few months to remain relevant in the context of Europe. Several high-profile clubs are circling Barcelona at the moment waiting for their shot at convincing Lionel Messi to spend the next phase of his legendary career in accordance with their liking.
The days to come are critical to the future of FC Barcelona. With Lionel Messi's departure a near certainty, every single decision taken by those in power at the club is likely to influence the future of football in Catalunya. Barcelona is at the cusp of a phase that could determine the fortunes of the club for decades to come and it needs to take a few measures to stay on the right side of history.
#5 Invest wisely
For a club that used to take pride in its efficient scouting system, Barcelona has lost its way over the past few years. It is safe to say that some of the transfer decisions taken by the club reek of sheer stupidity and misdirection.
Barcelona's failed exploits in the transfer market have resulted in a number of liabilities and a wage bill that has dwindled the club's resources. Barcelona has often resorted to putting all its eggs in one expensive basket on several occasions in the past few years and will have to make amends to its ineffective transfer policy over the coming months.
The likes of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, and Antoine Griezmann cost the club a near-unnatural amount of money and while these players can still be of value to Barcelona, the club cannot afford to splurge the remainder of its assets on a single high-profile player. Lionel Messi's sale will offer Barcelona a financial boost and the club will be consigned to the history books if it fails to use those funds wisely.
#4 Revive La Masia
Barcelona's famed youth academy has been an unfortunate casualty of the club's gross incompetence over the past few years. La Masia has always been a centrepiece of Barcelona's incredible success story and has yielded the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta.
The fact that the team that takes the pitch today has an average age nearing 30 is a testament to the sheer neglect that the academy has faced over the past few years.
La Masia itself, however, continues to produce talents that can potentially take the world by storm. Thiago Alcantara gave the Barcelona board a massive slap in the face by inspiring Bayern Munich's 8-2 victory against the Catalans and making a statement to a club that has refused to take back one of its most prodigious sons on several occasions in the past.
The likes of Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati have already made inroads into the first team and their performances are the ideal indicator of what La Masia is truly capable of. A host of highly-rated youngsters including Ilaix Moriba and Monchu are waiting in the wings and Barcelona's renaissance will remain heavily dependent on the players that have been forged at the club's academy.
Also Read: 5 reasons why leaving Barcelona could be the right decision for Lionel Messi
#3 Tweak the system to compensate for Lionel Messi's departure
Lionel Messi is arguably the only player in the world that can never be replaced. The Barcelona legend is the sole source of purpose for his side in the final third and orchestrates every creative move of note in the final third.
The Argentine talisman is the ideal combination of agility, intelligence, and dribbling prowess. Lionel Messi's impact on this Barcelona team cannot be replicated by a single player alone and the Catalan think tank will have to use every ounce of its technical know-how to revive this Barcelona side.
Barcelona's glory days under Pep Guardiola were heralded by a side that may not have been as invincible as it was without Lionel Messi but could certainly hold its own. The team had a revolutionary tactical setup that could overcome the most resolute defences in Europe and was considerably less reliant on Lionel Messi than it is today.
The first order of business for Barcelona would be to devise a formation that gets the best out of the big names at the club. The likes of Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho have played similar roles to that of Lionel Messi and Ronald Koeman may have to find a way to redirect his efforts and make the most of Barcelona's expensive investments.
#2 Remove the current administration
If Lionel Messi does leave the club this summer, Josep Maria Bartomeu will always be known as the Barcelona president that made it happen. Bartomeu has already caused irreparable damage to Barcelona and his decision-making skills have been questionable at best.
Barcelona holds elections once every six years and the socios of the club are scheduled to vote in 2021 to elect a new administration. If Lionel Messi does leave the club this summer, the Blaugrana's dreaded transition phase will commence immediately.
The only error that would prove more fatal than creating the circumstances that resulted in Lionel Messi's departure would be allowing the same executives that have run the club into the ground to initiate Barcelona's new era. Barcelona is in desperate need of a fresh start and the current administration has proven itself far too incompetent to provide it.
#1 Modernise FC Barcelona
Barcelona is one of the most prestigious clubs in Europe and it is only fitting that a club of its stature uses the most modern techniques available to the sport today. The club's lack of foresight over the past few years has trickled into the first team and has had devastating effects on the team's fortunes on the pitch.
Liverpool and Bayern Munich are the strongest teams in Europe at the moment and given their commitment to modernity, it is no surprise that they boast the most efficient sides on the continent. Barcelona, on the other hand, has a medical team that consistently fails its star players and relies on relatively dated practices in a desperate bid to keep the club relevant.
Barcelona will have to revolutionise every single one of its administrative and technical teams to stand a chance against European forces that will continue to leave the club in the lurch if it holds on to its outdated status quo. Barcelona can survive without Lionel Messi but will have to undergo the renaissance of the century to maintain the standards that are expected of the club.
Also Read: How Manchester City could line up if they sign Lionel Messi
