Iconic shirt number
“I’m so excited, this is a great place to show the best version of myself,” Marcus Rashford said when he officially became a Barcelona player. “Visca el Barca!” (Long live Barca), he shouted as he held the number 14 shirt.
At Barca, 14 is one of the iconic numbers. It was Johan Cruyff's favorite shirt number, which he used for a while, but he mainly played with number 9 because of the La Liga regulations at that time ( the starting lineup had to use number 11 first ).
“Saint” Johan pays tribute to the number 14 in the legendary Ajax jersey and the wonderful Dutch team – the collectives that transformed themselves into a total football machine in the unforgettable 1970s.
Ernesto Valverde and Jordi Cruyff, Johan's son, also wore the number 14 at Barca, as did names like Ivan de la Pena, Amunike, Gerard Lopez and Thierry Henry (49 goals, 26 assists in 121 games) - one of Rashford's childhood idols.
Rashford is the third option in Barca's bid to sign the winger after being rejected for a second time by Nico Williams, and Liverpool's asking price for Luis Diaz is too high.
At the same time, this is also the cheapest option, not only because of the loan contract (buyback clause 30-35 million euros), but also because Rashford himself accepts a 25% pay cut.
When he was abandoned by MU and had to move to Aston Villa in the second phase of last season, Rashford always wanted to go to Barcelona.
The 27-year-old is capable of playing in any attacking position. He has been open about his dream of playing for Barca since January. Hansi Flick agreed, but the Blaugrana had difficulty registering new players in La Liga, so he went to Villa.
“Flick was the key factor in helping me come to Barca, but all the people I spoke to at the club also played an important role,” he explained.
Because we need each other
Currently, Barca still cannot register Rashford to play, like new signing Joan Garcia or Wojciech Szczesny who just renewed, because they have not met the criteria of La Liga 's Financial Fair Play Law.
Unlike Dani Olmo, Rashford's contract does not include a clause allowing him to leave for free if he is not registered.
To qualify for the new registration, Barcelona must account for the revenue from the 475 VIP seats at the new Camp Nou – whose opening is still delayed – and make some player sales.
Another possibility for the club to register the player is Marc-Andre ter Stegen undergoing surgery due to a persistent back injury.
Barca need Rashford to strengthen the attack, rotate and reduce the workload. Conversely, the striker rejected by MU also needs the reigning La Liga champions.
The English striker – who has been involved in a few off-field controversies – exploded in 2022/23, Erik ten Hag’s first season, with 30 goals in 56 games. This is a career record.
However, the following season, his form declined significantly. When Ruben Amorim replaced Ten Hag as MU manager from November 2024, he was also dismissed.
Ruben Amorim let Rashford play his last match against MU on December 12 last year. He let him practice separately and left him out of the match list.
Upon his arrival at Aston Villa, he gradually found his form – four goals and five assists in 17 games, with 940 minutes played. However, a hamstring injury in April halted his progress.
Now, at Barcelona, Rashford hopes to rewrite his career. “I have improved a lot in the last six months. I am happy and want to move forward,” he said.
Hansi Flick is renowned for his ability to revive players' form and fitness. Rashford has relied on him to find his form again.
Immediately after Rashford's presentation, Barca confirmed that the match scheduled to take place in Japan on the 27th against Vissel Kobe would be canceled due to "serious breach of contract by the organizer (D-Drive, based in Seoul) " .
“The club will consider adjusting the remainder of its summer tour in South Korea, where two matches are scheduled, against FC Seoul (31 July) and Daegu (4 August), provided that the organisers meet certain requirements. If those conditions are met, the club will travel to South Korea in the coming days,” Barca said .
“Barcelona regrets this incident and the negative impact it has had on the club's large fan base in Japan,” the statement concluded.
However, on Thursday night (July 24), the appearance of Rakuten, Vissel Kobe's main sponsor and Barca's long-time partner, played a decisive role in achieving the amount requested by Blaugrana.
Therefore, Barca is expected to fly to Japan today (not yet officially decided). If so, the match against Vissel Kobe will also take place.
The La Liga champions are expected to earn around 15 million euros from the entire Asian tour, after choosing the US as their destination for three consecutive summers.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/rashford-ra-mat-barca-so-ao-bieu-tuong-va-khat-vong-chien-thang-2425549.html
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