Football Manager 2022 Barcelona tactic and team guide. Club culture, board requirements, key players, youth prospects and transfers in FM22
Football Manager 2022 Barcelona tactic and team guide. Club culture and
board requirements, tactics, key players, youth prospects and potential
transfers in FM22.
Here is a brief analysis of the Barcelona squad, their club structure, relationship any potential managers will have with the board, expectations and possible tactics any FM manager can use.
About FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona or Barca are a professional football club that ply their trade in the La Liga. Futbol Club Barcelona is a Spanish professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Founded in 1899, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism. Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the fourth-most valuable sports team in the world, and the world's second-richest football club in terms of revenue.
Domestically, Barcelona has won a record 74 trophies; 26 La Liga, 31 Copa del Rey, 13 Supercopa de España, 3 Copa Eva Duarte, and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies, as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions. In international club football, the club has won 20 European and worldwide titles; 5 UEFA Champions League titles, a record 4 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, a joint record 5 UEFA Super Cup, a record 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and 3 FIFA Club World Cup. The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico.
Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world, and the club has one of the largest social media following in the world among sports teams. Barcelona players have won a joint record number of Ballon d'Or awards (11), as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards (70. In 2010, three players who came through the club's youth academy (Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi) were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards, an unprecedented feat for players from the same football school.
Barcelona is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929. Barcelona are the first club to win the continental treble consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League, and also became the first Spanish football club to win six out of six competitions in a single year. With such a rich history of dominance in the sport it is easy to see why Barcelona remain the favourite of most FM Managers. However, Barcelona have had an interesting last 2 years and have suffered massively with respect to club finances. The club has also lost club icon Messi and several top players and many predict that the club is in the middle of a crisis situation.
Barcelona did manage to finish 3rd in the 2020-2021 season and have qualified for Champions league football. The minimum board requirements once you take over will be,
• Challenge for the La Liga title
• Make the R16 of the Champion's league
• Work towards becoming the most reputed club in the world.
Additionally, you will be required to play attacking possession-based football and promote players from the youth system. There is no transfer budget to work with as the club is in severe debt and you cannot even generate revenue through player sales as that would be sent towards settling the debt.
Barcelona have top class training facilities and one of the best youth setup’s in the world. Their youth academy LA Masia is renowned for producing some of football’s biggest stars. The academy is the only solace for managers and there are still quality players produced every season.
• Make the R16 of the Champion's league
• Work towards becoming the most reputed club in the world.
Additionally, you will be required to play attacking possession-based football and promote players from the youth system. There is no transfer budget to work with as the club is in severe debt and you cannot even generate revenue through player sales as that would be sent towards settling the debt.
Barcelona have top class training facilities and one of the best youth setup’s in the world. Their youth academy LA Masia is renowned for producing some of football’s biggest stars. The academy is the only solace for managers and there are still quality players produced every season.
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Barcelona are a very attacking team that play possession hungry football. A vertical tiki taka is probably the best tactic to go with considering what the board wants but since the squad is versatile you can alter the formation as you see fit.
A 4-2-3-1 is how Barcelona line-up in real life and is probably the best suited formation to the available squad of players. This also helps them maintain the width with the overlapping fullbacks who are very attacking in nature.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 4-2-3-1 formation is as follows,
Squad, Formation and Tactical Style
Barcelona are a very attacking team that play possession hungry football. A vertical tiki taka is probably the best tactic to go with considering what the board wants but since the squad is versatile you can alter the formation as you see fit.
A 4-2-3-1 is how Barcelona line-up in real life and is probably the best suited formation to the available squad of players. This also helps them maintain the width with the overlapping fullbacks who are very attacking in nature.
A rough example of what your line-up would look like in a 4-2-3-1 formation is as follows,
Please note that this squad is the best available squad and injuries have not
been taken into consideration while making this.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen as a sweeper keeper.
Gerard Pique & Clement Lenglet as the 2 ball playing centre backs.
Sergino Dest & Jordi Alba as a fullback and wingback respectively, both are naturally attack minded players.
Sergio Busquets & Frenkie De Jong as the 2 Central Midfielders with the former operating as a ball winning midfielder and the latter in a deep playmaker role.
Ousmane Dembele & Memphis Depay as the 2 wide players in an inside forward/Inverted winger role.
Pedri plays behind the striker as an attacking midfielder.
Sergio Aguero as the Advanced Forward.
Although there are a few quality options on the bench in the form of Coutinho and Ansu Fati, this is the weakest a Barcelona team has ever been in a football manager game and it is not easy to work around different formations.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen as a sweeper keeper.
Gerard Pique & Clement Lenglet as the 2 ball playing centre backs.
Sergino Dest & Jordi Alba as a fullback and wingback respectively, both are naturally attack minded players.
Sergio Busquets & Frenkie De Jong as the 2 Central Midfielders with the former operating as a ball winning midfielder and the latter in a deep playmaker role.
Ousmane Dembele & Memphis Depay as the 2 wide players in an inside forward/Inverted winger role.
Pedri plays behind the striker as an attacking midfielder.
Sergio Aguero as the Advanced Forward.
Although there are a few quality options on the bench in the form of Coutinho and Ansu Fati, this is the weakest a Barcelona team has ever been in a football manager game and it is not easy to work around different formations.
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Despite selling some big players in the last year, there is still quality in the Barcelona squad and some of their best players are,
Key Players
Despite selling some big players in the last year, there is still quality in the Barcelona squad and some of their best players are,
Memphis Depay
Depay is definitely a handy addition to the Barca squad and can contribute a lot of goals from wide or central areas. His versatility will make it easy to fit him and tinker with the formation.
Pedri
Although just 18, Pedri is one of the most important players currently in Barcelona and whom the managers can build a squad around. A suprely fit player who is very mature for his age, Pedri is a versatile football who is very creative and can put in a shift.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
Ter Stegen is one of the best goalkeepers in world football. In a team riddled with the best attacking talent, his contributions can never be undermined in maintaining balance.
Frenkie De Jong
Frenkie is an amazing young midfielder who can dictate the tempo from central midfield. His versatility and age can make him an important player for Barcelona for years.
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There are a few exciting young prospects in the ranks who have the potential
to be some of the best players in the league. A few examples are,
Ansu Fati
Youth Prospects
Ansu Fati
Easily one of the best wonderkids in FM22, Ansu Fati will already be an important player for most LA Liga sides at just 18. His versatility and the ability to play across multiple positions make him very easy to fit in the team.
Gavi
At just 17, Gavi is already an international with Spain and can be a top player for club and country in the future.
Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia is one of the best young centre backs in the game and with game time can develop into a top player for Barcelona. The defence can be built around Garcia.
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• With the fullbacks being very attack-minded, Barca are left open to a lot of counter attacks and could be difficult to manage against good counter-attacking teams.
• Barcelona have a weak squad depth and the backups, especially in defence lack quality.
• Some of the best talents of the club are ageing and may be impossible to replace.
• The club is in financial ruin and has no transfer budget to work with, it may take years to secure the financial position of the club.
Barca lack squad depth but also offer to transfer budget, however, these additions could add value to the club.
⦁ Antonio Rudiger
⦁ Dusan Vlahovic
These players maybe surplus to requirements at the club or may not be of the expected quality.
⦁ Phillipe Coutinho
⦁ Samuel Umtiti
Weaknesses
• With the fullbacks being very attack-minded, Barca are left open to a lot of counter attacks and could be difficult to manage against good counter-attacking teams.
• Barcelona have a weak squad depth and the backups, especially in defence lack quality.
• Some of the best talents of the club are ageing and may be impossible to replace.
• The club is in financial ruin and has no transfer budget to work with, it may take years to secure the financial position of the club.
Potential Transfers (in)
Barca lack squad depth but also offer to transfer budget, however, these additions could add value to the club.
⦁ Antonio Rudiger
⦁ Dusan Vlahovic
Potential Transfers (Out)
These players maybe surplus to requirements at the club or may not be of the expected quality.
⦁ Phillipe Coutinho
⦁ Samuel Umtiti
Summary
Barcelona which was one of the most popular clubs to manage in previous
versions of Football Manager may not be as popular a choice in FM22. However,
veteran managers can take up this challenge to work with virtually no budget
for several seasons and try bringing Barcelona back to its glory days.
