Deco: Barcelona needs rational signings, the triple crown is a reward

Tuqiu.com June 1st News Barcelona Director Deko was interviewed after the team was crowned the Triple Crown (La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League). He showed the clear idea of ​​a "pragmatic manager" around core issues such as "success code", "philosophy of signing" and "future planning". His remarks are regarded as the weather vane for Barcelona's operations in the "post-Xavi era".

The "delayed gratification" of the Triple Crown champion: the quantitative change to qualitative change in three years of reconstruction

Deco attributed the outbreak of this season to "systemic engineering": "When Laporta restarted the 'Dream Four Plan' in 2022, we clarified the three-step strategy of 'youth training priority + veteran transition + technical iteration'." He specifically mentioned the club's forbearance under the "Financial Fairness Act": "Selling high-paid players such as Coutinho and Dembele in the past two years, and enduring the pressure of 'performance fluctuations' is to make room for growth for new stars such as Yamal and Valde. This season's data proves everything - the average age of the first team is 24.8 years old, and U23 players account for 42%, which is extremely rare in the history of the Champions League championship."

The philosophy of signing: Reject "star worship" and create "Demand matching lineup"

In response to the outside world's doubts about "Barcelona's zero superstar scandal this summer", Deco reiterated the concept of "structural signings": "We have done statistics. In the past ten years, 70% of the core players came from "internal training + precise sign-free" (such as Manchester City's Foden and Real Madrid's Valverde)." He took Alemani, who performed well this season (without signing in the winter window) as an example: "When other teams chased 100 million euros, we signed 'all-rounders who can cover two positions' for 3 million euros. This 'cost-performance thinking' is the way to sustain." As for Felix's departure, he hinted at the importance of "dressing room balance": "Data shows that the team's offense and defense conversion speed decreased when he was on the court. 18%, this does not meet our 'fast-paced football' requirements. '

Deco's de-coaching dependency: building a system with "club DNA higher than individuals"

Deco's "de-coaching" remarks have sparked heated discussions: "Xavi is a legend of Barcelona, ​​but we cannot let the team 'bind' to a certain person's tactical style." To this end, the club is promoting two reforms: one is to establish a "technical committee" (composed of members of the Cruyff Foundation + data analysts) to ensure that no matter who coaches, the basic philosophy of "ball control and oppression + high-pressing" can be continued; the other is to establish a "player development database" to use AI to simulate the performance of players under different tactical systems, and reduce the "adaptation costs caused by changing coaches." This model is called "Barcelona version 2.0 - from the 'Godfather' to the 'Data Republic'" by The World Sports.

"New and Old Inheritance" of Portuguese Football: C Ronaldo's historical positioning and prospects for new stars

Faced with the controversy of Ronaldo's national team role, Deco demonstrated "diplomatic wisdom": "When people discuss 'whether C Ronaldo is needed', you might as well look at the 'attention bonus' he brought to Portuguese football - the commercial sponsorship of the U17 national team has increased by 300% in the past five years, which is the value of legend." As for Portuguese rising star Yorke, although he did not confirm the transfer, he revealed that "the scout team has tracked his 38 games": "His 'bifoot ability + midfield coverage' is very similar to Busquets at his peak, but we will not pay a premium for 'future potential' - just like when signing Yamal, timing is always more important than fame."

From the romanticism of "Dream Team" to the "Deco era" Barcelona is completing a profound transformation in its pragmatism. As Deco said at the end of the interview: "The real giants do not collect championship trophys every year, but build a soil for the champion to grow naturally. When we can calmly refuse 'seemingly perfect signings', we may truly understand Cruyff's words - football has nothing to do with money, but about how to create miracles with 14 meters of space." Can this "anti-trend" team building idea allow Barcelona to continue its competitiveness in the era of "gold-yuan football"? The Champions League defending game next season may be the best touchstone.