Barça returned to winning La Liga following Xavi’s arrival on the bench, but one of the best seasons in recent years came under Hansi Flick. The German coach ushered in a new era marked by ambition and attractive football. With a strengthened, youthful squad, featuring the emerging talent of Lamine Yamal, Barça enjoyed an almost perfect 2024/25 season, winning the Spanish Super Cup, La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League final.

At the same time, the club celebrated its 125th anniversary under the slogan “We want the ball”, reaffirming a distinctive and unmistakable playing style. A range of institutional and cultural events commemorated Barça’s history, culminating in a closing celebration that highlighted the legacy and identity of a footballing model based on possession and the talent developed at La Masia, now an enduring symbol of Barcelona’s identity.

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XAVI BACK

Six years after his farewell as a player, Xavi Hernández returned to Barcelona to take charge of the first team. Despite improvements in performances, the 2021/22 season ended without silverware. However, the following campaign brought success, with Barça winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. In 2023/24, results declined again, no trophies were won, and at the end of the season he stepped down as first-team coach.

IN COMES FLICK 

The new Barça coach was the highly regarded German manager Hansi Flick, who had previously enjoyed great success at Bayern Munich. Leading an outstanding group, including the prodigious Lamine Yamal, Flick’s tenure began almost perfectly. In the 2024/25 season, Barça secured a domestic treble of Spanish Super Cup, La Liga and Copa del Rey and came close to reaching the Champions League final. Looking ahead to the following season, optimism among Barça fans remained high.

125th ANNIVERSARY

The slogan “We want the ball” was the central theme of the celebrations marking the 125th anniversary of FC Barcelona’s foundation on 29 November 2024. That day, the opening gala took place at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, launching a series of commemorative events, including the television series El nou clam, the video podcast La Llotja del 125, and the Culer March to Montserrat. The anniversary celebrations concluded on 25 June 2025 at the Palau de la Música Catalana with the broadcast of the final episode of La Llotja del 125, titled “Barça, style and legacy,” a tribute to a playing philosophy based on ball possession that has become timeless.

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