Contenders emerge as new Barca captain

Ernesto Valverde has worked incredibly well with his squad at the Camp Nou this term, however, Barcelona will choose another captain in the summer.

Javier Mascherano was one of the club’s set of captains, but when he left for China in the winter it left one such position unfilled.

Those in power at the Camp Nou had decided that its best to wait until the summer before making such a decision, and for the moment Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets will stand as the club’s three captains.

Across LaLiga, the captaincy is done on seniority, although that isn’t the case at the Camp Nou with members of the squad themselves voting on their four captains.

Characteristics such as charisma, respect and personality are all considered ahead of the vote, and there are several candidates to take the Argentine’s spot.

It’s obvious that if Iniesta is to leave the club, then Messi will rise up the ladder and become the team’s official captain.

With regards to the potential two new spots, Gerard Pique is a candidate and Ivan Rakitic has emerged as another.

The Spanish defender essentially acts as a captain without the official title at this point, as he’s so experienced and is so committed to Barcelona.

He isn’t afraid to speak his mind, although this may have cost him an official position in the past, especially in the most recent vote which handed Mascherano his position initially.

Rakitic is seen as a much mature option.

He was a captain with Sevilla and the Croatian national team, and is at the forefront of the list which also contains Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.