Barcelona cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory over Italian side Como on Sunday evening in the annual Joan Gamper Trophy, held by the Catalan club in honor of its founder.<\/p>\n
Despite missing their Polish top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who suffered a muscle injury last week, Barcelona were ruthless, with Ferm\u00edn L\u00f3pez taking center stage by netting twice in the 21st and 35th minutes, before Brazilian winger Raphinha (38\u2019) and young star Lamine Yamal (42\u2019, 49\u2019) added the other three goals.<\/p>\n
The match was played at the Johan Cruyff Stadium within the club\u2019s training complex, as Barcelona continue to await the long-delayed completion of renovation works at Camp Nou.<\/p>\n
Before kick-off, German goalkeeper Marc-Andr\u00e9 ter Stegen delivered the traditional captain\u2019s speech from the pitch, just days after his dispute with the club over the handling of his back injury became public. The club had initially stripped him of the captaincy, but the situation was resolved when he signed off on the medical report for the surgery he recently underwent, allowing the club to register new goalkeeper Juan Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n
Two days after regaining the armband, ter Stegen said: \u201cI think it was important to resolve the issue between me and the club, and now it\u2019s time to look forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the fans, he added: \u201cWe will fight again for all the titles, and with your support, we hope to win every possible trophy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Como, coached by former Barcelona midfield star Cesc F\u00e0bregas, suffered a worrying defeat. The team had enjoyed an impressive Serie A campaign and strengthened their squad over the summer with experienced names, most notably Spain captain \u00c1lvaro Morata.<\/p>\n
Barcelona president Joan Laporta expressed his delight with the festive atmosphere of the Joan Gamper Trophy, saying after the match: \u201cIt\u2019s a special celebration that carries Johan Cruyff\u2019s legacy and honours the club\u2019s founder. Facing Como, led by Cesc F\u00e0bregas, Sergi Roberto, and \u00c1lex Valle, was a special moment, and (coach) Hansi Flick continues to make us happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laporta praised ter Stegen, affirming: \u201cTer Stegen is our captain, and he gave a fantastic speech that inspired the fans. After 11 years at the club, he\u2019s a great figure, and I\u2019m happy to see him back as captain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding the registration of goalkeeper Juan Garc\u00eda, he explained: \u201cWe\u2019re waiting for approval from La Liga\u2019s medical committee to register him, and we hope that happens soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other unregistered players, Laporta said: \u201cWe\u2019re working to resolve the matter, and if we can\u2019t get them registered before the Mallorca match on Sunday, we still have enough time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking about defender I\u00f1igo Mart\u00ednez\u2019s move to Saudi side Al-Nassr, Laporta commented: \u201cWe have five defenders, so one had to go. I\u00f1igo made a family decision at 34 years old. He joined us for free, and we had already agreed to let him leave if such an opportunity arose.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Ballon d\u2019Or, Laporta expressed optimism: \u201cWe have four players nominated, and I hope one of them wins it. Lamine trains as hard as he plays, and Hristo Stoichkov\u2019s endorsement of him makes me happy. We also have female players nominated, and even Flick is in contention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laporta concluded by reaffirming the club\u2019s commitment to returning to Camp Nou: \u201cWe are working seriously with the city council to complete the project, which benefits both the city and the country, and we expect to return soon as progress continues.\u201d<\/p>\n
La Liga kicks off next Friday, with Barcelona beginning their title defense by hosting Mallorca on the 16th.<\/p>","continue_text":"Continue Reading","main_heading":"Blog"},"yoast_head":"\n