The 2024-25 La Liga season is on the horizon, and it promises to be a fun one for football fans in general. Well, it depends on who you’re asking.
While Real Madrid fans have a lot to look forward to because they still have Carlo Ancelotti as their boss and Kylian Mbappe as their newest shiny toy, this would only mean bad news for the rest of the competition, especially Barcelona.
Barcelona are undergoing an upheaval with Hansi Flick leading at the helm, and it’ll be interesting to see how he’ll fare in his first season at Catalonia.
On the other hand, it would also be interesting to see whether Michel and Ruben Baraja, from Girona and Valencia, respectively, can outdo themselves this year after punching above their weight last term.
Continue reading below as SBOTOP shares its outlook for these three managers in 2024-25.
Hansi Flick, Barcelona
The La Liga 2024 odds have Real Madrid repeating as champions in 2024–25, but second place is likely up for grabs between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
While missing out on the La Liga trophy is not what the rabid Barcelona supporters want to hear, winning other domestic trophies like the Copa del Rey might be more realistic for them.
Hansi Flick will inherit a fairly strong squad, but it is far from perfect, and it doesn’t help that they’re facing major financial constraints in the transfer market.
The Blaugrana have been eyeing Nico Williams for a while, but Athletic Bilbao are only selling the young winger for a massive fee that Barcelona couldn’t afford. Theoretically, Barcelona can get Williams by triggering his release clause, but they’re hampered financially.
Assuming Barcelona somehow get Williams, this presents a huge lineup dilemma for Flick. He cannot afford to give everyone huge minutes, which may lead to resentment and moves out of the club.
On the other hand, Barcelona are still lacking depth in other areas of the pitch, such as full-back, centre-half, and midfield, and the clock is ticking for them to make more moves.
Former manager Xavi once described the Barcelona job as “toxic,” and Hansi Flick may get to learn firsthand why it is so.
Michel, Girona
Girona were the biggest surprise from last season because they finished within the top four in the La Liga table. At one point, Girona held the top spot in the standings for a couple of weeks, but they eventually finished third.
Michel was the mastermind behind Girona’s meteoric rise, so he was aptly named the 2023-24 Coach of the Year. And fortunately for him, he will maintain most of his core players this summer.
Savio and Aleix Garcia were the most notable players to leave Girona this summer, but they managed to add Donny van de Beek and Bryan Gil to hopefully help compensate for the losses.
Artem Dovbyk, their Golden Boot frontrunner last season, is still with the club despite gaining interest from Atletico Madrid. Girona should only sell him if they get an offer they couldn’t refuse from AS Roma, also one of his suitors.
Because they’re playing in the Champions League next season, Michel will have to work extra hard to keep up. There’s a big chance that they’ll falter in handling their European and domestic obligations due to their lack of depth, but it’s part of their growing pains as an up-and-coming club.
Another campaign similar to 2023-24 is considered a huge win for Michel and co., although Girona fans may have to temper their expectations overall.
Fortunately for Michel, his job is not under intense scrutiny like Hansi Flick is at Barcelona, so he has a lot of leeway this season.
Ruben Baraja, Valencia
Another team that punched above their weight was Valencia, which finished in the top half of the standings last term, following their positive La Liga 2024 results. Head coach Ruben Baraja steered Los Che to ninth place after saving them from relegation in 2022-23.
After a promising first full season in charge, where they narrowly missed out on European qualification, Baraja was given a one-year extension by Valencia.
Expectations will be higher for Baraja this time around, but if he does well again this year, he may earn another lucrative contract.
Baraja earned his extension because he was able to develop their young players. Valencia will boast the youngest team in the division, with the likes of Hugo Duro, Javi Guerra, Diego Lopez, and Pepelu leading the way.
However, Los Che have been underwhelming so far in preseason, so Baraja has to iron out their inconsistencies ahead of the opener, where they’ll face Barcelona.
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