Deco: Our current lineup is stronger than last season, and now the top players are eager to join Barcelona

According to World Sports, Barcelona's sports director Deco was interviewed and talked about Barcelona's transfer operations this summer window.

The summer window has been closed for one month. Are you satisfied with the team's signings, selling people and new players' integration?

Our current lineup is stronger than last season, and now the top players are eager to join Barcelona. In general, based on our previous general plans for each position and goals, most of the things discussed with Coach Flick have been implemented. In the past few years, we have always emphasized the need to build a stable team. Now this team has taken shape and has not only won honors, but the young players in the team are also growing and gradually becoming an indispensable core force for the team. Our core idea is to "retain the existing lineup" - although a champion team has room for improvement, the first priority is to retain the core framework of the team.

Of course, it is not easy to do this, and when the team succeeds, the market will naturally increase the attention to our players. However, we always insist on maintaining the established team building plan, and if there is room for improvement, we will strive for it with all our might. From this perspective, our goal has been basically achieved. It should be noted that Inigo Martinez's departure at the last moment is indeed not within our plan. We had known before that a central defender might leave the team, but we didn't expect it to be Inigo - there are some factors behind this that we cannot control, such as market temptation, which are beyond our control.

Barcelona has been restricted from signings under the "Finance Fair Competition" (FFP) rules for two consecutive summer windows. How do you view this situation?

I do not agree with the statement "restricted" because FFP affects all clubs, not Barcelona. These rules were voted by the clubs and should not be complained since they have taken effect. If you want to modify the rules, clubs can sit down and reconsider and pass the new plan. Three years ago, Barcelona also signed players like Lewandowski, Rafinia and Conde. "Unable to sign up for large amounts" does not mean "inaction".

For me, one thing is crucial and it is also a strength that Barcelona has always had: the players are eager to join Barcelona. Perhaps this appeal has waned over the past few years, but now we have regained this recognition. I have a view: if we offer a salary that is equal to or even slightly lower than other teams, Barcelona is still competitive (of course, this is not applicable to all players or all market situations). Now Barcelona is back to its position - fighting for various championships, players can also win personal honors with the success of the team. Maybe the outside world will misunderstand the topic of FFP, and people always ask, "Are Barcelona in trouble?" But the fact is, Barcelona has no "trouble", it just faces constraints on FFP, and this is not a key issue.

You not only consolidated the team's core framework by renewing Pedri, Garvey, Rafinia and Conde, but also improved the FFP situation through transfers and loan operations. Is this process very difficult?

We have a clear plan for some players to stay: Lenglet was no longer in the team's plan last season because we had a surplus of staff at the centre-back position; Romeu was on loan before, and his departure was reasonable; Fati needs more playing time, Monaco's environment is very suitable for him, and it is a perfect choice for his personal development and our planning; with Rashford joining, Victor's playing time will be reduced; and Torre, in my opinion, is a very talented player, but the midfield position is the area where we have the most staff, and it is difficult for him to get enough opportunities. Leaving the team is a better choice for his career, but we reserve the right to recall him in the future. These decisions are not simply for improving FFP. The core is based on competitive considerations, but objectively it has indeed had a positive impact on FFP.