Barcelona president Joan Laporta was present at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to lift the Supercopa (Spanish Super Cup) with the players. Among the group of players celebrating with the Camp Nou chief were Dani Olmo and Pau Victor - deals that have caused Blaugrana financial trouble in recent times.
A few days before winning the Supercopa, Barcelona received permission from the Spanish government to use Dani Olmo until the end of the season, despite the previous ban from La Liga due to salary cap problems. This victory is not only meaningful in terms of achievement, it is also an affirmation to opponents, especially Real Madrid, about Barcelona's strength. It is still intact and not affected by external factors.
Three months ago, in the first El Clasico of the La Liga season, Barca crushed Real 4-0 at the Bernabeu. That was when the Camp Nou team was at its strongest ever under Hansi Flick. However, since then, due to various factors, they have had a series of poor performances, falling behind the Madrid duo in the La Liga rankings.
Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha (2) and Alejandro Balde scored against their arch-rivals, creating a festive day in the stands with the Cules. Blaugrana played with 10 men from the 56th minute but Real Madrid only scored 1 more goal and suffered a 2-5 defeat. It was a true destruction of their arch-rivals from Hansi Flick's team, reminding Real not to rush to leave Barca out of the competition this season.
"Superb victory", "Super destruction" were the words that Mundo Deportivo and Marca splashed on the front page after the "Catalan Giants"'s magnificent victory. Barca's players are on average much younger than Real Madrid's, but their maturity and class have overwhelmed the galaxy in the hands of Carlo Ancelotti.
Both Dani Olmo and Pau Victor were registered in the Barcelona squad, with Olmo coming on and leaving a strong impression. The Spanish midfielder was an innocent victim of the recent storm. A talented player but constantly facing the prospect of having to leave the team and leaving a mess of crises due to financial troubles from above. However, Laporta never let Olmo fall into that situation. Finally, when they overcame the storm, they won the championship together.
"This Christmas season has been more peaceful for us" - Raphinha shared when asked about his feelings after the victory.
When lifting the title in Saudi Arabia, the Barcelona players dedicated that honor to the president. In the storm of the past few years with the huge consequences left by the Josep Bartomeu era, it was Joan Laporta and no one else who shouldered and steered Barca through the current period. A huge debt hung over their heads but Barca still had money to renovate the Camp Nou stadium, still welcomed many stars and still had resounding victories, that was a scenario that seemed only a dream.
La Liga, Champions League and Copa Del Rey are still up for grabs, Barcelona will have a huge boost after the Supercopa to set clear ambitions. They have the ability to do that.
