Laporta reunites the old company, Rafa Marquez returns to Barcelona

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After bringing in the long-time captain Xavi, who was given the difficult task of sitting on the bench and restoring the recognizable style of play, as well as the engagement of Dani Alves who had the task with his experience to help his friend and former teammate with young inexperienced players, Laporta brings back to the club another player from the most glorious days of the club. The new coach of Barcelona B, ie Barça Athletic after the new one, is the former defender of the Catalan club, Rafa Marquez.

Rafael Marquez does not have much coaching experience, in fact so far he has worked only in the junior categories of the Spanish five-league Alcala, but he has the necessary charisma and knows very well what it means to play for Barcelona. That is why the Catalan club, and above all the president Joan Laporta, believe that it is a great choice for a strategist of the B team.

According to the Spanish media, the Mexican has been chosen to succeed Serhi Barhuan as the coach of the second team and will soon start performing that function. He is also supported by the fact that he was a longtime teammate of Xavi Hernandez with whom he remained on good terms, and Laporta hopes that with joint efforts they will be able to return to Barcelona the once recognizable reliance of the players who appeared in their own plant.

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The non-domestic work in the time of Josep Bartomeu, ie the astronomical compensations for the foreigners who did not stand out with their quality, contributed to the debt of Barcelona to increase to over one billion euros. The management was changed last winter, Laporta returned to the helm of the club, and one of the first moves he made was to hire the former captain to coach the first team. After Xavi, another former player will get a significant place in the sports sector.

The former stopper spent seven years in Barcelona and during that time won two Champions Leagues (2006, 2009), four Primera titles and many other trophies. Now Marquez will try to transfer his knowledge and experience to the younger generations and together with Xavi to discover new stars of the Catalan giant.

Barhuan is retiring from the coaching position in the B team after a year, and he led the A team for a short time after the departure of Ronald Koeman and before the arrival of Xavi, but he does not leave the club, but will stay to work in La Masia.

Otherwise, the B team of Barcelona from next season will be called Barcelona Athletic. Regardless of the name, the goal is the same – to shape boys from the famous school into first team players capable of bringing trophies to Barcelona.

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