Exactly two
years ago, FIFA confirmed an unprecedented transfer ban on Barcelona, ruling that the
Catalan club would not be able to sign new players during the next two transfer
windows.
The Blaugrana not only survived, they thrived - back-to-back
domestic doubles and a Champions League title represent the most successful
two-year stretch in the club's storied history.
But the trophy haul does not tell the entire story.
The ban may have irreparably stalled the careers of Arda Turan
and Aleix Vidal, two summer signings that were forced to wait until January to
make their debuts.
And the resulting lack of depth nearly caused a historic
collapse at the end of last season, as Luis Enrique's distrust of his bench
wore down the starting XI.
Still, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid facing transfer
moratoriums of their own, Barcelona's success could serve as a blueprint for
their two rivals.
FIFA handed down the 14-month transfer ban in April, 2014, when
Barcelona were found to have violated Article 19 of the FIFA Regulations on the
Status and Transfer of Players by signing international players under the age
of 18.
An appeal pushed the punishment to 2015, allowing the club to
sign Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu, Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre
ter Stegen (the two Madrid clubs appealed earlier this year in order to sign
reinforcements this summer).
The January 2015 window was inconsequential - the Blaugrana
rarely conduct much mid-season business, and the club went on to win the
LaLiga-Copa del Rey-Champions League treble.
Xavi and Pedro left the Nou Camp last summer, and Luis Enrique
brought in Turan and Vidal to bolster a very thin bench.
When the duo finally debuted, six months after signing, they
struggled from the outset.
The Turkish playmaker never found his position in Luis Enrique's
preferred 4-3-3 and started just one of the club's last 10 matches.
Vidal was even less of a factor - the full-back's last
appearance was against Getafe on March 12, and he was dropped from the team
entirely for a stretch in early April.
Their ineffectiveness and a spree of untimely injuries forced
the Asturian coach to lean heavily on his starters.
Suarez played every minute of every Champions League match and
36 league games, Lionel Messi sat out 45 minutes in all of 2016, and Neymar was
substituted once all season.
Those tired legs caused an April freefall that nearly cost Barcelona
their season - three-straight league losses allowed Los Blancos and Atletico to
pull within a single point, and the Rojiblancos knocked the Catalans out of the
Champions League.
But the Blaugrana finished strongly, and their LaLiga title
ensures that the transfer ban will be a small footnote in the legacy of the MSN
era.
Enrique signed four new players this summer, and the emergence
of 20-year-old Munir El Haddadi should allow him to rotate the front three.
With the ban behind them, Barcelona will chase their
third-straight LaLiga title this season, starting Saturday against Real Betis.
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