Barca - A Lesson For The Rest

Source - FCBarcelona.cat

Barcelona's victory at the Club World Cup is a lesson for footballing sides around the world. The Catalans showed calm and composure despite trailing till the second last minute.

There have been only a few sides in club football which have been remembered for ages and ages. The Real team of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Pushkas, the Inter side of Giancinto Facchetti and Sandro Mazzola, the Busby babes are among the elite.

And now one can add the Barcelona of Xavi, Iniesta, Messi to that list. The Blaugrana won their sixth trophy of the year after beating Estudiantes in the FIFA Club World Cup earlier tonight.

However, what left me amazed was the mentality of the players despite being behind for a majority of the game. Estudiantes had taken the lead in the first half through a Boselli strike and Barca had to wait till the 89th minute for Pedro to score the equalizer.

There have been and will continue to be pages and pages of rhetoric written about Barca's dreamy style of play and their fluid passing. But I for once want to talk about the mentality of the team because I believe that this is their most fearsome quality.

This past year the Barca team faced many pivotal moments which would go on to define their success. And stunningly on each and every occasion it was a true triumph of their determination and character.



Mental Strength

Today this was evident once more as Barca continued to play their usual passing game despite the minutes ticking down on the watch. Many teams would have gone gung-ho in their bid to score the equalizer but the Catalans played the only way they know.

There was no panic in the team, no peppering hopeful balls into the box at every opportunity, no crazy forays and long rangers by any player. It was just the normal, pass-pass-pass till you wear down the opposition.

And this wearing down is not only at a physical level but one at a mental level too. To see a team enjoy as much possession as Barcelona and to do so as if its second nature to them, must be truly debilitating for the opposition's morale.

Barca have seldom had to resort to desperate last-minute tactics as they have conviction that their style of play will yield the right result. It doesn't matter if the team is 1-0 down or 3-0 up they always always stick to their principles.

One of the great examples of this philosophy was evident in Barca's semi-final with Chelsea earlier this year. The Blues were totally dominant in the game and many would feel that they deserved to win the tie.

But despite being outplayed and overrawed by the Londoners, Barcelona stuck to their guns till the last minute even after going a man down. The reward was there for everyone to see, Iniesta's last minute goal setup their Champions League conquest.



The True Artiste

I feel the credit for this mental revolution at the club must go to Pep Guardiola who has infused his no nonsense approach into the players as well. The ex-Barca man has definitely benefitted from being a player not so long ago.

Before Guardiola took over, the club was in part shambles inspite of all the quality they had in their ranks. Two trophyless seasons for a team boasting one of the best rosters in the world was simply unacceptable.

What Pep did was to give a sense of direction to the players. There was only one route to goal and though the tactic may have its cons but on the whole it has been greatly successful.

I cannot exaggerate the importance of having faith in the system you are playing in. Even the greatest players have struggled to find their feet if they are being played in an unfamiliar position. In Barca's case every man knows his duties and his responsibilities.

And this is truly a lesson for all managers and player's alike. There are better chances of success if you can play with the belief that your players and your team can get the result.

With the New Year upon us, this will no doubt go down as the year of Barcelona. Hats off to them! They have truly exemplified their motto 'Barca - Mes Que Un Club' [Barca - More than a club].