La Liga: FC Barcelona has confirmed the club’s four captains for the 2021-22 season after Lionel Messi’s departure from the club. Sergio Busquets takes the honor of wearing the club’s captain armband and will share it with 3 other players when he is not on the pitch. Messi was named as captain ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, following the departure of Andres Iniesta, with the club winning one La Liga and one Copa del Rey title under his leadership.
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The defensive midfielder will lead the club along with 3 other players- Gerard Pique, Sergi Roberto, and Jordi Alba. Busquets has 630 club appearances
La Liga: FC Barcelona confirms club’s new captains after Lionel Messi’s exit
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— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 9, 2021
Gerard Piqué is thus promoted from third to second captain in his 14th season at the club. Having spent seven years in the Barça youth set-up, Piqué re-joined the club in 2008 after spending four years at Manchester United (including a loan spell at Real Zaragoza).
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![barcacentre on Twitter: "Barcelona will ask Piqué, Busquets, Alba and Roberto to review their contract at the club due to the difficult financial situation the club are facing. [md]… https://t.co/T3V6VOZxOF"](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgQSbfUX0AAdzg5.jpg)
Sergi Roberto also moves up a level to third captain. Roberto has been at Barça ever since arriving from Gimnàstic Tarragona in his teenage years and made his first-team debut in 2011. He became one of the captains after Javier Mascherano left the club in 2018.
Jordi Alba becomes the new member of the captains list. Alba was at La Masia from 1998 to 2005 before leaving for Cornellà and ultimately making his professional debut with Valencia. He came back to the Barça in 2012, this time as a member of the first-team squad.
La Liga: FC Barcelona confirms club’s new captains after Lionel Messi’s exit
