Barcelona confirm new club captains after Lionel Messi's exit

Barcelona v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: First Leg
Barcelona v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: First Leg

Lionel Messi was not only Barcelona's best player last season, he was also the club's captain. The 6-time Ballon d'Or winner's exit from the club shook the entire footballing world.

However, life has to go on at Barcelona and the Catalan club have now selected their captain for the new season. The club's main captain will be Sergio Busquets, with Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto the other 3 captains.

Since Andres Iniesta left Barcelona in 2018, Lionel Messi had taken over the armband. With Lionel Messi now departing the Catalan club, senior pro Sergio Busquets will be given the honor of leading the club.

The 2021-22 season will mark a new era for Barcelona as they will be without their greatest ever player, Lionel Messi. Sergio Busquets, however, is himself a Barcelona legend and will be determined to lead the club to glory this season.

Barcelona will have to undergo a rebuilding process in the absence of Lionel Messi

FC Barcelona v Juventus - Joan Gamper Trophy
FC Barcelona v Juventus - Joan Gamper Trophy

Replacing a player like Lionel Messi will never be easy for Barcelona. However, new signings like Memphis Depay and youngsters like Ansu Fati and Pedri could herald a new era of domination for Barcelona.

Ronald Koeman's team have looked extremely slick in the last few weeks and were at their best when they beat Juventus 3-0 in the Joan Gamper Trophy pre-season clash.

Barcelona have a good group of talented youngsters who have shown that they are more than capable of playing at the top level. However, no one can deny that Lionel Messi's absence will have a huge impact.

The Argentine was the club's top scorer last season and was at the heart of every major attacking move. It will be up to experienced players like Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto to guide the youngsters in the team and help Barcelona have a good season.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has been heavily linked with a move to PSG. Should he join the Ligue 1 side, he will be reunited with former Barcelona team-mate Neymar. The move is inching ever closer and the official announcement of Lionel Messi's move to PSG could come in the next few days.


Also read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Chelsea pushing for major signing, updates on Lukaku and Kane's futures and more

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Edited by Ashwin