Hansi Flick explained to the press gathered at the training camp in Birmingham during the preseason that he did not expect to see his team performing at full capacity until after the international break, which will run from September 24th to October 6th. A summer marked by the World Cup, with more than a dozen blaugranas participating and up to eight playing until the final with the Spanish national team, as well as the arrival of new faces with the adaptation process that this implies, led the coach to express this concern. Mind you, he set a clear goal: to win the first eight matches until the break no matter what. On the verge of achieving the set goal, the blaugrana machinery is performing above expectations.

Barça has overcome Racing de Santander (7-2) with a scandalous rout and continues to count all its matches as victories: six in six matchdays. Below, some quick thoughts:

Karim Adeyemi (Munich, Germany, 2002) has quickly won over the Barcelona fans with his goals. Against Feyenoord, the fans chanted his name after he scored a screamer of the kind that makes you jump out of your seat. Against Levante, he scored the 2-4 when the team was having its worst moment. Today, against Racing (9:30 PM, DAZN) he is expected to start, although he states that Hansi Flick, the architect of his signing, keeps him engaged whether he starts or comes off the bench. Adeyemi also promises to learn Catalan and explains that, due to his origins in the Bavaria region, he has quickly grasped the uniqueness of the blaugrana fans and the people of Catalonia.

On Monday, in the lead-up to the Real Madrid - Inter Milan Champions League match, Kylian Mbappé was emphatic in stating that he considered he had done more to deserve it than anyone –"I have made history", he said– to take home the Ballon d'Or. The next day, much more cautious, Lamine Yamal stated, on the eve of the clash against Feyenoord, that winning it did not depend on him, despite considering that he had had a good enough season to receive the trophy, and that he does not plan to beg to take home the award that will be granted by the magazine France Footballon October 26th.

"Toni Gros is one of us". This is one of the messages that Barça shared on its social media for the Diada. It refers to Anthony Gordon, the English winger who has amazed Hansi Flick and all of Barcelona with only a handful of months in Barcelona. Already at his presentation, at the end of May, Gordon dared to say "I am very happy" in Catalan while signing some autographs for the fans who were asking him for goals. For the moment, the goals are still awaited, but he has already provided four assists in five matches, all four in La Liga, and has earned the affection of a good part of the fans, who chanted his name at the Camp Nou after the 5-2 thrashing against Rayo Vallecano a couple of matchdays ago.

Hansi Flick's Barça also knows how to suffer. In his third season in charge, the German coach has turned a tight-knit group of players who love and defend the badge as if their lives depended on every match into a team that never tires of winning, even when things get complicated, as has happened at the Ciutat de València. There is no small opponent, no road trip or schedule that is a chore. There are no excuses: only hunger and a desire to win and score goals. One after another. In the last three matches, the Blaugrana side has opened the scoring in less than five minutes. A Levante side driven by fans who never tired of cheering reminded the Blaugranes that sometimes you also have to suffer. A wonder goal by Karim Adeyemi, already in stoppage time, served to seal the fifth victory (2-4) in five matchdays when Barça was having its toughest time.

It is difficult to dissociate the name of water polo player Maica García, Olympic champion, from the club of her life: CN Sabadell. It is even more difficult to imagine the outcome that one of the most successful stories in this sport in Catalonia has had. The specialist in the center-forward position began to cry during her presentation with her new club, CN Sant Andreu, when she explained the ordeal she has experienced in recent months, which will lead to a lawsuit against the Vallès entity. García stated that, after more than thirty years at CN Sabadell, she was forced to leave the institution when the club did not renew her contract upon her becoming pregnant, as required by law.

Lamine Yamal has been the public spokesperson for the dressing room at the Champions League debut this Wednesday, against Feyenoord, at the Camp Nou (6:45 PM, Movistar). The Blaugrana star has said that the Champions League is his great motivation because it is the only title that, at 19 years old, he has not yet won.

Hansi Flick left Mestalla with a smile from ear to ear. The German coach was satisfied because his team put in a "fantastic performance at Mestalla." He emphasized this during the post-match press conference. The Blaugrana steamroller demolished (0-5) a disgraced Valencia in the midst of a social and sporting crisis. Flick celebrated that his pupils balanced "control with verticality." Barça dominated possession overwhelmingly (27%-73%) in the debut of the pair formed by Pedri and Rodri, which worked delightfully. As for verticality, it is explained by the constant runs of Raphinha, Gordon, and Fermín, and the finishing precision of Lamine Yamal, who prefers to receive the ball at his feet.

Gabriel Jesus is the big news for the visit to a struggling Valencia at Mestalla (4:15 PM, Movistar) in a squad list that also sees the return of Gavi, who had missed the last two matches due to injury. The expectation is that the Brazilian could make his debut with Barça in the second half. This was detailed by Hansi Flick in the press conference, where he said he was satisfied with how the former Arsenal player had trained, even though he is not yet at 100%. Jesus landed in Barcelona on Monday, was presented on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, since the team had the day off, he trained alone. On Thursday he took part in part of the training with the group, and on Friday and Saturday – with a lower workload because it was the day before the match – he did complete both full sessions with his teammates. His compatriot Raphinha is acting as his master of ceremonies. He also knows Cancelo, Rodri, and Eric Garcia from his time at City.

Barça has closed a demanding transfer market with a good grade. Demanding, because at the end of this season the club will have to return to Montjuïc, where it will stay for at least six months until the roof of the new Camp Nou is finished, and this means that income will drop again: it will be necessary to assume the rent of the Olympic Stadium once more and income from ticketing will fall. In conclusion: it will return to being outside the 1:1 rule and difficulties in signing and registering players will return. This has turned the summer market —with the extension of the winter market— into a decisive transfer window for this season and the next.

Barça has already debuted three of the five signings confirmed this summer in La Liga. Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, and Rodri Hernández already know what it's like to compete at the Camp Nou. On the other hand, on the last day of the transfer market, the final arrivals had to be finalized - registered. On one hand, Gabriel Jesus, who was presented after signing a contract that will ultimately be for three seasons, until 2029, and not two plus an optional one. And, on the other, Dominik Livakovic. Both were registered at night: the Brazilian with the number 9 and the Croatian with the number 25.

"After this time that has passed since the [World Cup] final, after thinking about it a lot, I want to announce to you all that I am retiring from the national team…", announced Leo Messi in an emotional letter on his personal Instagram account. After two decades defending the colors of thealbiceleste, the Argentine star says enough at 39 years old. The complete letter continues as follows:

Everything is going well in this Hansi Flick's Barça, which has kicked off the season like thunder. A thrashing (5-2) against Rayo Vallecano and three unassailable victories in three League matches. The rivals end up as broken toys in the hands of the blaugrana steamroller. No player has a full stomach, everyone puts on their work overalls and, hungry and united, they turn Barça into a marvelous combination of talent and effort that makes a very excited fan base happy, even though this has only just begun. Even Lamine Yamal, who had made some grimaces in the last two matches, showed a beaming smile after scoring a great goal and having a great performance at the Camp Nou. The stadium sings and dances, proud of a squad that has been reinforced with new faces like an Anthony Gordon who has landed on his feet, a Rodri who is gradually picking up pace, and old acquaintances who want to be loved again like Andreas Christensen. Also from youth academy players, like a Xavi Espart who seems to have been playing with the first team for half his life.

Barça has reached an agreement with Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal forward, for 10 million euros plus variables associated with titles and performance. The Brazilian had lost prominence in the Gunners' forward line and has become a "market opportunity" to strengthen the attack, according to sources from the blaugrana club. Jesus' contract was set to expire in June 2027.

Even though she is only 25 years old, Claudia Pina (Montcada i Reixac, 2001) is already one of the veterans in a Barça squad that, despite losing very important players this season, continues to aspire to everything. The season premiere is this Sunday (7 PM, TV3) at the Johan Cruyff stadium.

There was no tribute ceremony at Camp Nou for the world champions with Spain prior to the match against Athletic Club. "It is neither the most appropriate context nor moment. Football should serve to unite and not to generate confrontations that do not benefit anyone," declared Joan Laporta on Wednesday, before confirming that Barça would change the congratulation to the mundialists for an "act of exaltation of the estelada, which represents the way of thinking of many culers and Catalans". And thousands of culers and Catalans responded by filling the stadium with estelades.

Hansi Flick was understood when, on the eve of tonight's match between Elche and Barça (9:30 p.m., Movistar La Liga), he publicly questioned whether Alejandro Balde has enough conviction to earn his place at Barça. With just over a week left until the transfer market closes, the blaugrana coach opened the exit door for the full-back raised in the Sant Martí de Provençals neighborhood of Barcelona.But he wasn't the only one, because Flick also publicly invited Jules Kounde to leave the club. "We have been clear with these players. It's a club situation, we are making a lot of changes. We have to wait until the end of the market. It's normal when you decide you want new players: you think about how to make the team stronger," he stated.

Without a center forward, but with an inspired Raphinha and a Fermín who can do anything. Without Balde, whom the club is pushing towards the exit, nor Cancelo, who has just arrived, but with a colossal Espart. Without Rodri, but with a Bernal who ensures the present and, above all, the future. Without many new faces in the starting eleven, but with an Adeyemi willing to show Hansi Flick that he did well by signing him. As Gordon would later do, author of two assists coming off the bench. With all these ingredients, Barça started the championship in a very encouraging way (0-5) against an Elche that did not manage to trouble the Catalan team at any moment. Only Gavi's injury, who left the field before the break touching his right knee which has bothered him so much in the last two seasons, marred an efficient victory.

The heat that made t-shirts stick to chests and backs at Camp Nou in the middle of August did not prevent almost 55,000 people from approaching the stadium to cheer Rodri and enjoy the debut, at home, of Hansi Flick's enthusiastic 3.0 project. In a match without much history against Egyptian Al-Ahly (2-1), the Gamper began with the fans – among them many tourists, as is usual in the celebration of this match during the holiday season – bowing at the feet of the Madrid-born midfielder. The former City player did not play, but he was present at the presentation of the signings. On the other hand, Cancelo could not be there, who, although he did get dressed, Barça has not yet been able to finalize all the paperwork to make his incorporation official. While Rodri was acclaimed, Frenkie de Jong received some whistles. With the captaincy withdrawn from the Dutchman and handed over to Raphinha, it was the Brazilian who was in charge of giving a speech in which he remembered the injured players, called for unity, and welcomed the new signings. Hansi Flick, for his part, had also asked for unity and managed to be loved a little more by letting himself go with some phrases in Catalan.