Fans in the Seventh Heaven: Robert Lewandowski's Passage Symbolizes New Barcelona | Israel today

When tearful Leo Messi announced a year ago that he was leaving Barcelona, ​​hundreds of dictionaries of fans around the world were shocked.

And not just because of the departure of the greatest player in Barça history.

Fans, realizing that Messi's departure was inevitable due to debts of about 1.4 billion euros, then realized another thing: the club is in an existential crisis, and it will take years before he can return to his glory days.

If any.

The 2021/22 season was one of Barça's most disappointing.

She finished in second place in the league, with a gap of 13 points from Real Madrid, did not win any titles, not even in the Europa League, and this is after being eliminated already in the home stage of the Champions League.

And here, less than a month before the start of the new season, wonder and wonder, Barcelona fans in the seventh heaven.

The acquisition of Robert Lewandowski caused a dramatic change in mood. 

Xavi, the former star, who returned in early November to replace Ronald Koeman on the lines, realized very quickly what a problematic squad he had inherited - and how much work he has to get Barça back on track.

The Spanish coach demanded from President Joan Laporta Lewandowski that he understood in front of monstrous strikers like Real Madrid (Karim Benzema), Manchester City (Arling Holland) and PSG (Killian Ambape), he owes a striker of 30- 40 goals a season.

Robert Lewandowski 🔵🔴 #FCB

▫️ Salary around € 9m net per season.

▫️ First call with Xavi, end of February.

▫️ Bayern receive € 45m plus € 5m add ons.

▫️ Robert's contract to be signed on Sunday.

▫️ Pini Zahavi-Laporta relationship, key for this deal.

Official, done deal.

🇵🇱🤝 pic.twitter.com/Oi9q0ISDp6

- Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2022

The Polish striker will be 34 next month, but anyone who follows him knows there is no setback in his abilities.

On the contrary.

Last season he scored 50 goals in the Bayern Munich uniform, more than any other season in his career, except for one.

Bayern insisted on leaving him, but "Lava" insisted more and was determined to leave.

Barça have no choice but to pay 50 million euros (including bonuses), for who in a year will be a free agent.

And if Lewandowski meets expectations and sweeps the team to win titles, it will be a worthwhile investment.

Lewandowski.

Real scorer - this is what Barcelona was looking for, Photo: Reuters

The question everyone is asking is, how can a club that is in a crazy deficit sign players like Lewandowski (50 million euros) and Rafinha (58 million) and wants to buy Jules Conde from Sevilla as well?

Well, in parallel with the acquisitions, Barça is diluting the staff.

She got rid of players who sat on huge salaries (Felipe Coutinho, Kalman Langela), cut Osman Dembele's salary, plans to sell more players (Omtiti, Brightway, DePay, Pouch, Mingsa and probably also Frankie de Jong) and mostly mortgages her future income.

And there is no small risk in this, in case there are no sporting successes.

In the first phase, ten percent of the broadcasting rights were sold in the next 25 years to the American investment company Sixth Street for 207 million euros.

In the second phase, which is due to take place soon, another 15 percent will be sold for about 330 million euros.

So it is true that with these sums, including the sponsorship agreement with Spotify (280 million euros for four years), Barça's accountant will be able to breathe.

But in terms of the Spanish league's 'fair play' regulations, the team can still not list players who have already been signed, such as midfielder Frank Cassia and stopper Andreas Christensen.

Xavi.

Waiting for players who have signed but are still unable to sign up, Photo: AFP

Much depends on the future of Frankie de Jong.

Barcelona and Manchester United have already agreed on his sale (85 million euros), but in the meantime the Dutchman refuses to move.

Almost everyone is sure that eventually the transfer will take place.

Yesterday (Saturday) Barcelona left for a training and games camp in the US, without its coach. The US refused to give Xavi a visa due to his visits to Iran, during the time he played and coached in Qatar.

But this matter will be resolved soon.

Barça's first game in the US will be on Wednesday morning (03:00) against Inter Miami. Lewandowski is due to undergo the medical tests in Miami by then - and then comes the debut game.

And this is going to be a premiere piece: the Clasico against Real Madrid, next Sunday (06:00 in the morning), at the Elegant Stadium in Las Vegas, in front of 65,000 spectators.

Wow!

Were we wrong?

Fixed!

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