In many ways, the Barcelona side who stood in Newcastle United’s way of Champions League progression is also rebuilding. Financial meltdown put the club on the brink just five years ago, and Joan Laporta, their president newly re-elected for a second term in a second spell in charge, gambled with their future by keeping them relevant at the top of the European game in the present.
Hansi Flick, who has just signed a new contract at the club, is nurturing the latest generation of academy talent. Laporta’s ethos has always been to put La Masia first, and Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, the returning Gavi and Marc Bernal are the linchpin of this rescue mission.
