Staff outnumber players in Barcelona FC team photo

Barcelona FC seem to have more staff than players, and they want to show that to everyone in their latest team photo. Photo / Twitter - FC Barcelona

Barcelona took time out following their 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon last weekend to pose for their official squad picture alongside the club's large number of backroom staff.

As the world's best side, a lot of preparation goes into making Luis Enrique's team serial winners at the highest level, with their squad snap showing just how many support staff work alongside the likes of the injured Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez on a daily basis.

The photo, which was taken at the club's Ciutat Esportiva training base, saw Barcelona's attacking trio, plus the likes of Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, joined by 26 staff members, including manager Enrique. They all posed with the League, Cup and Spanish Super Cup trophies following their Treble success last term.

FC Barcelona official photo for the season https://t.co/892a0k3vCq #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/A6fV71bs8H

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 26, 2016

With 22 players in their first-team squad picture, those who actually take to the field were outnumbered by those who work behind the scenes, summing up the attention to detail into every minute facet of life at the Nou Camp.

It clearly works too, with the Catalans having won La Liga in three of the last four years and regularly tasting success in the Champions League to boot.

Modern-day football necessitates the employment of large swathes of people in various different departments from those responsible for analysis and physio, to the general secretary and scouts who work all over the world.

Barcelona possess all of these in abundance, another strong start to the new La Liga season seeing them sit in second place after six games played, a point and a place behind bitter rivals Real Madrid.

The thrashing of Gijon, in which Neymar scored twice, showed Barcelona at their swaggering best and came following their first dropped points of the season in a 1-1 home draw with Atletico Madrid.

Enrique's men are favourites to make it a trio of consecutive league titles come the end of the season, while they've also had a decent start to their bid for another European crown.
They thrashed a Celtic side nowhere near their league 7-0 in their first Champions League game of the current campaign, and face German side Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday.

League games at Celta Vigo and at home to Deportivo follow before Barcelona face Manchester City and former boss Pep Guardiola in a hotly-anticipated European tie on October 19.