Andres Iniesta and Javier Mascherano’s departure left two of the captaincy roles vacant, which have been filled ahead of the new season.
The domestic season is close to starting with the Spanish Super Cup clash between Barcelona and Sevilla a couple of days away. Therefore, squad decisions have to be made such as squad numbers and captains.
Iniesta joined Vissel Kobe during the summer as he realised that his age was starting to catch up with him on the pitch. His playing time had to be managed as fatigue started to affect him more and he became more susceptible to injuries. He was the main captain last season, so a successor was needed.
Lionel Messi has been chosen for that role due to being the longest-serving individual in the team as well as the main player. He has captained the team plenty of times before, so little changes in this regard. Gerard Pique has been brought in as third captain due to his involvement with the first-team squad over the past ten years. He was the natural choice due to being a central figure in the team.
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Javier Mascherano also left the club to join Hebei China Fortune back in January. He was the fourth captain last season, which meant a replacement was needed. Sergi Roberto was chosen for that role and his promotion means that all four captains are La Masia graduates for the first time since the 2014/15 season. Therefore, this serves as a strong message from the club because there is a clear connection to their principles and it provides inspiration for the youngsters aiming to break into the team.
Roberto deserves this honour due to his determination to succeed in earning a first-team place. His perseverance earned him a starting berth as a right-back under Luis Enrique and he hasn’t looked back since. There were other candidates who had strong cases for the position such as Jordi Alba, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Samuel Umtiti, but Roberto is a good fit as well as being a symbolic move.