Barcelona might be heading for their first trophy-less season since 2014, and it was the coach who led that team to nowhere who shared his views on Barcelona's current affairs and hopes for success in the near future.
Speaking in an interview with CDF, Mexico's coach Gerardo Martino admitted that the player he believes to be closest to becoming a leader at Camp Nou is none other than Arturo Vidal.
Martino's words come as a surprise since Vidal is not a product of the team's youth categories, something Piqué and Lionel Messi can brag about.
"Right now, I see Vidal as the team's soul, especially for the effort he puts in every game. There are other aspects, such as his work ethic, his ability to get to the box and score. This was a better season for him than last, he should definitely keep playing for Barcelona," Martino said.
The former Newell's and Argentina boss revealed that he was not given the chance to sign Vidal during his time at Camp Nou, but he would have been more than happy to do so if he had been given the opportunity.
"I have a soft spot for Vidal. If I could, I would have signed him to play for Barcelona back then. Now that he will be out of a contract, you have to respect the player's feelings and personal decisions, but if he feels OK and his family is doing OK, then Barcelona should do everything in their power to keep him," the coach added.
Speaking about the team's playing style, Martino admitted that not all things are the same since two of its icons left. Hence, there can't be talk about Barcelona's style without these footballers.
"You have to ask yourself if Barcelona's DNA is still there once Xavi and Andrés Iniesta left. If someone asked me, Barcelona needs to find another kind of players to thrive in years to come," Martino concluded.
