Although Barcelona were unable to win any title in the 2023-24 season, this campaign will still be memorable for the club’s fans for several reasons.
The most prominent of these reasons will be the way the youth was utilized by Xavi Hernandez, as players like Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez all made a huge leap in their careers.
Other players like Hector Fort and Marc Guiu were also frequently used by the former coach, but there are even more players ready to make the jump to the first team in the coming months.
One such player is the midfielder Marc Casado, who was praised by Joan Laporta himself in a recent interview, as the President saw him as a member of the first team for the next season even though his renewal is yet to be finalized.
SPORT has outlined four key reasons why Laporta has been impressed by the Barcelona Atletic captain, who has been at the club since the age of 13 and has progressed through the youth ranks at the Catalan club.
Firstly, his leadership and relationship with his teammates are among the virtues that Laporta values highly in the youngster. He performs his duties as the captain of Barcelona Atletic perfectly and is always available to his teammates for help.
He also does not shy away from facing the media at difficult moments and is ready to give the spotlight to his teammates when things are going better.
Secondly, the midfielder has shown his highly developed ball handling and vision of the game, and his willingness to do the dirty work on the pitch perfectly complements his technical skills. He already has 13 bookings to his name, which clearly showcases this aspect of his game.
Furthermore, he is always ready to give his all in every game and does not ask for a change unless he is sure his presence will hurt the team.
Thirdly, Casado can perform at a very high level in different roles on the pitch. He is versatile, capable of playing various positions in midfield, and could also excel as a right-back. It is this versatility that has drawn comparisons to Joshua Kimmich in the past.
Furthermore, when Hector Fort and Trilli were unavailable, Rafa Marquez also played in him on the right flank, without Casado dropping his performance levels too much.
Lastly, the midfielder also has a lot of affection for Barcelona, and there is no doubt about his love for the club where he has been staying and growing since 2013.
This aspect would be one that endears him the most to Laporta and the club, and hopefully, he will be able to stay at his beloved club for years to come and contribute significantly to bring it back to its full glory.
