What does Barça's final farewell mean?

BarcelonaBarça faces its first match without Rafael Navarro on Sunday with the visit of Deportivo (12 pm, DAZN, Movistar). Navarro, who until now served as Pere Romeu's assistant coach and liaison with the sporting directorate headed by Marc Vivés, mutually terminated his contract with the Catalan club to become the head coach of the Swiss Football Association. "I asked Barça to let me speak with the [Swiss] Federation and then they allowed me to leave," he explained during his presentation at the Federation's headquarters in Muri. "It's a great opportunity for me. I want to be a head coach and I'm ready for it. I have the knowledge and experience," he added, thanking the club for facilitating his departure. Thus, the Catalan club loses the man who had been the assistant to Lluís Cortés (with whom he arrived in 2019), Jonatan Giráldez, and Pere Romeu over the last six seasons.

Navarro, who had hoped to pursue new personal projects – he was among the candidates to become Barça's first-team coach after Giráldez's departure to the Washington Spirit in the United States, but Vivés ultimately chose Romeu – leaves with a trophy haul of three Champions League titles and six La Liga titles. The coach from Gandesa has signed with the Swiss national team until 2029 following Pia Sundhage's departure and will be in charge of a team that features Barça's Sydney Schertenleib as one of its leading players. Navarro wants to instill the Barça style in the Swiss squad, but with his own nuances. He explained it himself: "I like my team to have possession, but I know I'm no longer at Barcelona." The coach made it clear what he will demand of his new team: "An attacking mentality, high pressing, and that we be aggressive, with and without the ball."

But what does Barça lose with the departure of the 39-year-old coach from the Ebro region? "In recent seasons, he was primarily in charge of set-piece strategy, both defensive and offensive. This was true both with Jona [referring to Giráldez] and with Pedro [referring to Romeu]. He also contributed to the day-to-day tasks in training and stood out for his extensive knowledge of Liga F and women's football in general," said someone who has worked with him in AHORA. For example, the current Barça coach arrived in 2021, two years after Navarro. The coach from Gandesa, who was also responsible for analysis and video preparation, had gained more prominence in the last two seasons, while with Giráldez, the analysis of opponents was more the responsibility of analyst Toni Gordo, who has accompanied him to both the Washington Spirit and Olympique Lyonnais.

The tasks that Rafel Navarro performed at Barça

In summary, her role on the coaching staff involved a significant part in planning and designing training sessions and drills, as well as coordinating the organizational details of the training sessions. She also led some of the exercises performed during the sessions and collaborated on analyzing the players' individual performance, as well as correcting and improving their understanding of game concepts. With Romeu, she also participated in designing the match plan, contributing her perspective on both starting lineups and substitutions during matches. Video analysis was often her responsibility.

Now, in Switzerland, Navarro begins her first experience as a head coach in the world of professional women's football, after having twice come close to becoming the head coach of Barça. In 2021, Markel Zubizarreta, the previous sporting director, chose Giráldez, who had been with the club longer, in a continuity-focused move that was welcomed by the players after Lluís Cortés' departure. Amid rumors of a restructuring of the coaching staff, some of the more influential players in the locker room requested Navarro's continued presence at the club. Years later, when Giráldez left Barça, Vivés ultimately opted for Romeu. For the time being, the current coaching staff will share the responsibilities previously held by the coach from Gandesa. Regarding the question of whether Navarro will be replaced by a new face, the club's official spokespeople prefer not to comment.