FC Barcelona. Beginning of the season Vs End of the season. Look how far we've come!

Fresh in every Barça fans memory are the horrors of the previous season. La Blaugrana lost the LaLiga to Real Madrid and were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the most embarrassing way. The sacking of Quiqué Setien, the 1 billion dollars debt, the Messi Burofax, the transfer of Luis Suarez... Admittedly, this was not the best time for the historic club that finished the season trophyless for the first time since 2006. The club lost confidence its board and  President Josep Maria Bartomeu and had to reconstruct itself from scratch but a number of changes at the beginning of the season have formed the FC Barcelona that we know today. Here's my analysis.

Appointment of Ronald Koeman as coach.

Not many were happy of the appointment of Ronald Koeman as First team coach but Bartomeu sought for someone who knew the Barça game and who better than Koeman who was Barcelona's Centre-Back from 1989-1995 and has experience after managimg clubs like Benfica, Valencia, PSV, Everton and Southampton.

Transfers and Promotions.

Players like Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Nelson Semedo were shown the back door as Barça looked to reduce the wage bill to hire new talent. Arthur was sold to Juventus in a swap for Mirelam Pjanic. Françiso Trincão from Braga, Serginõ Dest from Ajax and Pedro 'Pedri' Gonzalez from Las Palmas were brought in. Barça also turned towards their famed La Masia Academy and promoted players like Riqui Puig, Ansu Fati, and Ronald Araujo to the first team. B team prospects like Oscar Minguenza, Konrad De La Fuente, Ilaix Moriba, and Alex Collado were also given chances to play with the first team.

End of Bartomew, Enter Joan Laporta.

The club members and fans started a campaign against President Bartomew and shoved him out of the doors of Camp Nou. A presidential election was held and Joan Laporta won by a majority to take up the president's office for a second time. 

During his first tenure as President of La Blaugrana, they won 4 LaLigas, 1 Copa del Rey, 3 Supercopa de Espana, 2 UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup.

The season so far.

Having beaten Getafe in a frustrating 5-2 win, Barça currently sit third with 68 points having played a game less than the two Madrid sides sitting over them on first and second. Real two points behind leaders Atletico and Sevilla a point below Barcelona. The title race has heated up to a point where no team can afford a loss anymore. Real bounced back into the race after the Classico victory. There was also the Supercopa which saw Athletic Club seal a win Vs the Catalans in ET. 

Copa del Rey Victory

The Copa del Rey campaign was one to remember where Barça made two amazing comebacks against Granada and Sevilla and won the final 4-0 against Athletic Club at the Estadio de La Cartuja thus taking revenge for the Supercopa de Espana.

Conclusion

FCB have come far and could possibly pull out the greatest comebacks in LaLiga history if they manage to win the title. A domestic double would be a morale booster and may even persuade Messi to sign a contract extension. It's still too early to predict the winner but one thing is certain, it's gonna be entertaining.

-Asher Collin Alex Dias.