New Barcelona Sporting Director Deco has admitted that from a distance, the club did not handle the transition away from their historic team under Luis Enrique.
Deco presented the new sporting structure for the football department, revealing a new role for Bojan Krkic following his retirement, and revealing that he would be taking over duties from both Jordi Cruyff, his predecessor, and Director of Football Mateu Alemany, who has also left the club.
Deco: "Bojan will also help us in monitoring young players. At the club we believe that this figure was missing in the sports structure and that he will work together with Alexanco, me and Xavi."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 13, 2023
The Brazilian-Portuguese was asked what his philosophy would be as the man now leading their recruitment efforts, and revealed he felt that things could have been done better.
“My idea is that of Barca. Their philosophy: having possession, quality, playing good football and winning. It is the philosophy that marks the club. Players with different technical characteristics. When I watch a game, I want to see quality.”
In terms of Barcelona’s failings in Europe, Deco criticised the work of former President Josep Maria Bartomeu and former Sporting Director Eric Abidal.
“I think everything is a phase of transition, Barca has had the best years with the generation of Messi, Pique, Busi… The generation that has made the most impact. They are players who have given a lot to the club.”
“As a club, transitions are always difficult and if you don’t do them well it is difficult. Teams are not eternal. I was not here on the inside, but I believe that looking at it from the outside, the transition has not been handled well. They took too long to react when there were players at an older age.”
While it is unusual to hear club figures be quite so critical, doing so with previous regimes is very much within the purview. Equally, Deco’s opinion is one shared by many, with Barcelona still recovering from the contracts handed out well above market value.
