Deco says it is the beginning of a new era for Barcelona.

Barcelona is entering the beginning of a new historic era, and it is Deco himself, the club’s sporting director, who asserts this with conviction. After securing two consecutive La Liga titles, the Catalan team is not settling and aims to achieve even more, supported by a young and promising generation that promises to revolutionize Spanish football.

The Barcelona team clinched the La Liga title with three matchdays to spare, defeating their eternal rival Real Madrid in a display that solidified the club’s dominance in the competition. However, according to Deco, this success is just the starting point for something much greater. “It is the beginning of this team’s story,” the sporting director declared in an exclusive interview, highlighting the crucial role of young talents developed at the La Masia academy, such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez. “These players want more; they believe they can win even more important titles.”

Deco emphasizes that the team’s mentality is crucial for the future: “If the players believe they can achieve more, it shows that they still want to do something significant. For me, this team represents the start of an era because they are very young and hungry for important victories.”

Under the leadership of Hansi Flick, who has rebuilt the squad, Barcelona has avoided the need for significant investments in the market, which is rare these days. “We won’t have to go to the market to bring in four or five players,” assures Deco, referring to the stability built with a young and cohesive squad. The team had an impressive run of 11 consecutive victories that propelled them towards the title, despite being eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

In the midst of this success, there is a notable mention of the influence of Marcus Rashford, the English forward who was on loan from Manchester United during the season. Although the future of the 28-year-old player remains uncertain, Deco does not hesitate to praise his impact on the team. “Marcus deserved the La Liga title. He came on loan and it’s not easy for a player of his caliber to adapt like this, but he took on the responsibility of replacing Raphinha and did very well,” said the director, also referring to the decisive goal scored by the Englishman in the victory in El Clásico, which was a phenomenal direct free kick.

Barcelona could secure Rashford permanently for around 35 million euros, and Deco acknowledges that the player “helped a lot” the team this season. “Sometimes he was on the bench, which is not easy for him, but he responded very well and did everything that was asked of him.” Rashford participated in 32 league matches, with eight goals and seven assists, as well as six goals and three assists in 11 Champions League games, numbers that justify the club’s interest in keeping the Englishman in the squad.

This is undoubtedly a decisive moment for Barcelona. With a talented generation emerging and a winning mentality galvanizing the group, the Catalan team is ready to dominate European football in the coming years. Deco has no doubts: this is the true “beginning of an era” for the Spanish giant. Fans can start dreaming because the best is yet to come.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.