Sergio Busquets — The Unsung Hero of FC Barcelona
Written by — Krishna Chaitanya
When Barcelona’s recent success comes into our mind,the players that instantly strike into our mindss are; Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and Valdes. There’s another player who is rarely spoken about, that should receive equal praise in relation to Barcelona’s performance. He’s none other than Sergio Busquets. He’s not only a vital cog for FC Barcelona, but also for the Spain national team. With 33 trophies in his name, he made his debut in 2008 and has always been a regular starter for Barcalona and Spain. The Catalan midfielder is arguably one of the most underrated players in the world and deserves much credit by the fans, media, and pundits. Here’s how Busquets is the unsung hero of FC Barcelona.
1. He’s Irreplaceable
After Euro 2008, Busquets became the successor of Marco Senna,for La Roja. Spain won the World Cup of 2010 and Euro 2012. Pep Guardiola who coached Barcalona had preferred Busquets over Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita, who were forced to be on the bench and left the team due to lack of play time. In 2010, Barcelona bought Javier Mascherano, who played in a similar position as Sergio Busquets. As challenges mounted up, Busquets never looked back. He stepped up his game, which forced Barcelona to play Mascherano in the centre back position. Although Mascherano had more experience in the CDM position, he never played as centre back before.
2. Tactician
Vicente Del Bosque once opined, “You watch the game, you don’t see Busquets. You watch Busquets, you see the whole game.”
Busquets reads the game like nobody else does. He’s a player who can decide games for Blaugrana. He knows what to do when and hardly commits to any mistakes. He is one of those players who create an impact on the game with or without the ball. With the ball, he makes the difficult look unchallenging. He disposes off the ball with one or two touches. Without the ball, he gives us a lesson: ‘That of being in the right place and running only to intercept.’
3. Defensive excellence
Busquets plays the CDM role,the toughest position in football. He is the salt to a dish, called FC Barcelona. He brings control and security which is pivotal for Barca’s tactical plan. He has the ability to cover the defense, intercept the balls quickly from the opposition and convert it to counter attack. Hence he is nicknamed as ‘Octopus’.
4. Vision and Passing
Busquets doesn’t only contribute in the defence, but has a great vision and passing ability too. He knows when to pass and where to pass. Sergio has no problems bringing the ball up and setting up the offense. Many times it’s his passes that lead to goals. He has a great passing accuracy of around 90 percent in almost every game.
5. Keeping it simple
Sergio Busquets plays as a pivot for Barcelona and Spain. He is a silent guardian who gets his tasks done easily. He seldom scores or provides assists.
So, what makes him so unique?
- His ability to read the game very well.
- His ability to intercept the ball quickly from the opposition
- His ability to control the game
- create chances and excellent positioning awareness.
If you remove this pillar from the squad, the team collapses like a house of cards. That’s how vital Busquets has become for Blaugrana over the years and he’s one of the best players to don the Barca colours.
This article was edited by Shivani gopi
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