Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff insisted the side's host of new additions joined in order to "follow their dream" as he hit out at criticism of the Blaugrana's transfer policy.
Despite concerns regarding the club's finances, Barcelona acquired Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso during a busy transfer window.
Xavi's new-look team have impressed this season, taking 13 points from their first five matches in LaLiga, but many onlookers were surprised by their ability to outmanoeuvre their rivals in the market.
Raphinha and Kounde, for instance, were both strongly linked with Chelsea before arriving at Camp Nou. Cruyff, however, insists Barca retain a unique draw.
"Barcelona has a magnet, it is beautiful," Cruyff told Guillem Balague ahead of the Cruyff Legacy Summit.
"You can see the pride in the eyes of the players when they get a chance to sign for Barcelona and that has helped a lot, being able to compete with clubs with bigger budgets and better salaries.
"They wanted to sign for Barcelona, and we are very grateful for these players because, believe me, they had better offers than us.
"And still they chose to follow their dream to be part of history. When you see the eyes shining in these players you know you are in a special place."
LaLiga's strict salary controls meant Barca were forced to wait to register some of their new signings, with Kounde sitting out the club's opening league game as they attempted to streamline their squad.
However, Cruyff believes those who criticised the club's transfer policy lack understanding, adding: "I have noticed 99 per cent of the people don't understand Spanish financial fair play, how to fit that puzzle.
"It is something you won't understand in one hour, it is more complex and complicated. Even when you have money, you can't spend it.
"The news that has come out about us is not always accurate, and I understand people listen to that and think what Barcelona has done is maybe not elegant.
"That is a question of understanding fair play. Our job was to, inside the strict rules of Spanish football, improve the team. Now we have a squad that can compete with everything."
Cruyff also believes Barcelona's purchases were made with the future in mind, adding: "Most of the players we have brought in have a lot of years in front [of them], have a transfer value.
"We have made financially good decisions because you can see in the last week of the window how values have gone up.
"We have a squad for the future. The future is here and the present is here. We have things we need to improve, but the club had to make that decision in the summer.
"January 2022 was not a moment to buy four or five players and repair what we needed to repair. In January we looked at the short term, now we looked at short, middle and long term.
"The team has started really well, with the manager doing a really good job. He has a positive headache... he has a good squad to choose from.
"If that continues the right way, the city is alive again. Even for the smaller games, it's a sell-out and that shows the mood. You see how the people are so happy with the players that have joined. You feel it is alive again, and this club needed that."
Manchester United’s Anthony Martial ruled out of FA Cup final through injury
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been ruled out of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City due to a hamstring injury.
Martial picked up the problem in United’s final Premier League game of the season after stepping off the bench on Sunday against Fulham and scans have revealed the full extent of the damage.
United said in a statement: “Anthony Martial is out of Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup final against Manchester City due to injury.
“The France international strained his hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s 2-1 win against Fulham at Old Trafford.
“Assessments have since revealed a muscle tear that rules the 27-year-old out of the Wembley showdown.”
Martial missed United’s first two Premier League games this season due to a hamstring problem, while other small injuries since have restricted him to 29 appearances in all competitions in which he has scored nine goals.
Only 11 of his 21 league appearances this season have been in the starting line-up, but he had been hoping to be in contention to start at Wembley against City, who are looking to complete a domestic treble.
The former Lyon winger, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla, joined United from Monaco for £36million in 2015 and has made almost 200 league appearances for the club in total.
Ange Postecoglou: Celtic have to be at their ‘absolute best’ against Inverness
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has stressed they have to be at their “absolute best” against Inverness in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final after hearing about the history between the clubs in the competition.
Caley Thistle have knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup three times in seven meetings this century and the Hoops needed to come from behind in two of their triumphs.
Inverness beat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead as a First Division club in the first encounter between the teams in February 2000 in a result that cost John Barnes his job as manager.
They also beat Martin O’Neill’s side in 2003 four days after the Hoops had won at Anfield on their way to the UEFA Cup final.
Ronny Deila also fell foul of Caley Thistle in the 2015 semi-finals in a result that cost Celtic the chance of a treble.
When told some people were predicting a walkover when the Scottish champions face a side who finished fifth in the cinch Championship, Postecoglou told Celtic TV: “The people at this club don’t tell me about that, they tell me about the past results against them, which makes you realise that if you are not on it on the day you can be beaten and there’s consequences to that.
“I can assure you that no-one in the building here is going into it with anything other than the approach that we have to be at our absolute best on the day.”
Caley Thistle have only played once since their semi-final win over Falkirk, losing to Ayr on May 5 in a late defeat which cost them a place in the Premiership play-offs.
“It’s a bit of a weird one for them, they won’t have had a game for close to a month by the time the cup final comes around,” Postecoglou said. “I’m sure they have been working away and had bounce games when they can.
“It’s a different opponent for us but, irrespective, it’s a cup final. Who the opponent is becomes secondary to the fact that you know you need to perform on the day and if you do there is a massive reward at the end of it.”
Coventry have condemned online racist abuse towards Fankaty Dabo after his decisive penalty miss in the Sky Bet Championship play-off finals against Luton.
The club announced they will work with the PFA, EFL and the police to seek, ban and prosecute any person found to have sent racist messages.
Owner and executive chairman Doug King said: “The messages sent to Fankaty were disgusting and there is no place for any person who sent such vile abuse at any of our games, and social media is not a hiding place to make these comments.
“The club and our partners will support Fankaty, and we will not hesitate in taking action against those people found to have done this.”
Coventry also confirmed the defender will leave the club following the conclusion of his contract alongside Julien Dacosta, Todd Kane, Sean Maguire, Michael Rose, Martyn Waghorn and Tyler Walker.
Loan players Jonathan Panzo, Callum Doyle, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Josh Wilson-Esbrand and Luke McNally will return to their parent clubs.
Manager Mark Robins thanked those leaving and paid tribute to Dabo and Rose for playing key roles in Coventry’s League One success in 2019-20.
He told the club website: “I would like to thank those who are leaving for their time with us, the contributions that they have made to Coventry City, and wish them all of the best for their future careers.
“In particular, Fankaty Dabo and Michael Rose were huge parts of the side that won the League One title and then established us in the Championship.
“They will both be fondly remembered for many years to come by all Sky Blues fans, and the outpouring of support for Fanky (Dabo) from our supporters following Saturday goes to show the esteem he is held in.”
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