Overview

• Barcelona's sporting director attended Dinamo Zagreb's Europa League win over Fenerbahçe from the directors' box after traveling to Croatia with agent Andy Bara.
• Deco held an introductory hotel meeting with 16-year-old Brazilian midfielder Rafael Belinho, joined by the player's father, which Belinho later acknowledged with an Instagram photo.
• He also monitored Portuguese winger Cardoso Varela, who made a stoppage-time cameo, with reports noting Barcelona tried to sign him last summer and intend to pursue him next summer in 2026 despite his Dinamo deal running to 2028.
• Both Belinho and Varela are represented by Bara, a long-standing Barcelona conduit credited with facilitating past moves involving Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia.
• Club strategy continues to prioritize low-cost recruitment of teenagers for La Masia, with scouting widened to global youth events such as the U-20 World Cup in Chile.