Official: Three Barcelona players nominated for La Liga awards, Xavi snubbed

The 2023-24 La Liga season has not given Barcelona fans much reason to celebrate, with the team set to go trophy-less at the end of the campaign.

It has not, however, been without its silver lining in many forms. There were parts of the campaign where Xavi’s side looked like a genuine force to reckon with, while some players left a strong impression with their regular impact-generating displays.

Earlier today, La Liga announced its list of nominees for various end-of-the-season awards, and the Catalans have a decent representation on multiple fronts.

Nominated for best player

Ten players have been nominated for the Player of the Year award this season which will be presented in Sardinia, Italy on May 28.

Robert Lewandowski is the only Barcelona star on that list which also comprises names including Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Pichichi leader Artem Dobvyk, Takefusa Kubo, Isco and Aleix Garcia among others.

Considering that the Polish star suffered a poor start to the ongoing season, his nomination only goes to show his improvement in the second half of the campaign.

The absence of Ilkay Gundogan, who was the team’s most consistent performer, does raise eyebrows.

Barcelona enjoy better representation in the candidates for the Best U23 Player of the Year with both Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi selected for the same. They face competition from Rodrygo Goes, Nico Williams and Yan Couto amongst others.

Xavi misses out

Despite currently sitting second in La Liga with his team, Xavi Hernandez has not been nominated for the Best Coach award this year.

Carlo Ancelotti, Michel, Diego Simeone and Ernesto Valverde have all been nominated for the accolade, making Xavi the only manager in the top-five finishing teams to not have his name on the list.

With Real Madrid convincingly taking home La Liga, it is safe to say that most awards, if not all, will go Los Blancos’ way in Italy. Only the best young player prize has a realistic chance of coming home.