Beijing Time (CEST) September 3, according to "Mundo Deportivo", FC Barcelona is progressively rejuvenating its squad. Currently, Barcelona's first team has become La Liga's youngest team this season, with the team's overall potential further enhanced, laying solid foundations for the squad to challenge the reigning La Liga champion and compete in the Champions League in the new season.

Following the summer transfer window closure for the 2024-25 season, Barcelona's first team presents a striking contrast: with an average age of 24.4 years, it has become La Liga's youngest team this season, while simultaneously being a strong title contender already laden with honors.

Barcelona's sporting director Deco has built a squad that perfectly aligns with coach Flick's tactical philosophy as he enters his third season. This squad further elevates the team's ceiling and enables more sustained high pressing. With the team's current strength, this tactical approach will be Barcelona's unique advantage in regularly challenging various competitions.

The Champions League and La Liga are Barcelona's primary objectives for the new season, with tacit agreement and full commitment from the squad toward the club's direction. Currently, as La Liga's defending champions, Barcelona sit atop the standings after the first three matchdays.

As is well known, veteran players such as Lewandowski (38 years old) and Ter Stegen (34 years old) are no longer part of Barcelona's squad. The arrival of new signings this summer has pushed the team toward "broader squad rotation and more consistent physical output" to meet the demands of a congested calendar. Experience from recent seasons has shown that, especially in European competitions, Barcelona has often lacked that extra push, which can only be achieved by broadening the pool of potential starters.

This also explains why even the oldest new signings are only slightly over thirty (for example, Ballon d'Or winner Rodri), while some are even younger (for example, new signing Gabriel Jesus, 29 years old). Furthermore, Gordon is 25 years old, Adeyemi is 24 years old, and there is Abdulkarim, only 18 years old, and Bissouma, 19 years old, making the intention to rejuvenate the squad very evident.

Cancelo, 32 years old, is an exception, but this precisely confirms the team's overall trend of lowering the average age. All new signings possess excellent tactical awareness and team spirit. The "fresh blood" Flick has frequently mentioned during his two years as Barcelona's coach is precisely the key to making these qualities and collective understanding effective. Chronologically, Deco first renewed contracts with the club's local players (from La Masia or academy-trained), then, based on Flick's requests in April this year, added a group of experienced players who can make the "Champions League dream" more realistic.

This winning mentality, coupled with the unfinished Champions League objective, is reflected in numerous details: for example, Lamine Yamal's trophy cabinet already contains three La Liga titles; and eight Barcelona players form the core of the Spanish World Cup-winning team, and with the exception of Rodri, all seven others are under 30 years old.

Barcelona's two main rivals, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, have significantly higher average ages than the defending La Liga champion: Real Madrid has an average age of 25.7 years, and Atlético Madrid has 26.7 years. Barcelona's most favorable point is that, despite such a young squad, the team does not lack genuine championship-winning "veterans", both at club and international level.

Traduit par IA.

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