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Barcelona’s worst ever defeat in Europe, an 8-2 mauling by the hands of Bayern Munich, will sign the tip of Quique Setien as coach however it looks like the tip of greater than that. Setien might not even survive the weekend however the truth a second sacking in eight months can be the least of Barca’s worries says all of it. “It’s too soon to say if I will continue or not and it doesn’t depend on me,” mentioned Setien. “The club needs changes,” mentioned Gerard Pique. “Nobody is untouchable, least of all me. Fresh blood is needed to change this. We’ve hit rock bottom.”
Lionel Messi was alleged to win it alone, the Argentinian charged with one way or the other masking the failings of a whole membership towards essentially the most formidable workforce in Europe.
It was a determined hope, swiftly dashed by a ruthless Bayern Munich aspect, whose demolition uncovered Barcelona’s ageing workforce for what Messi has been saying all alongside: they’re merely not adequate.
He mentioned it in February and once more in July, when a rant within the aftermath of handing Real Madrid the title became a brutal, however sincere, evaluation of their season.
Messi noticed the autumn coming however it was too late to do something about it and the query now could be whether or not he needs to be a part of the method of restoration and renewal.
Most have assumed it could take one thing cataclysmic for Messi to go away however at an elite soccer membership, what could possibly be worse than this?
This was extra painful than the capitulations towards Roma and Liverpool, when carelessness and fragility disadvantaged Barcelona of a real probability to carry the Champions League trophy.
But they had been shocks as a result of Barca had been contenders. This time, no one anticipated them to beat Bayern. Many anticipated a thrashing however few may have predicted the severity of it.
The humiliations began within the fourth minute and stored coming till the 89th.
They started even earlier than kick-off when the beginning line-ups had been introduced, with three Barca signings purchased for greater than 100 million euros every all sitting on the bench.
One of them, Philippe Coutinho, was on Bayern’s bench and he got here on to attain twice towards his father or mother membership, the primary even seemingly with reluctance.
Brave choices await
Messi, at 33, is aware of his finish is close to however he’ll select when it comes. Others will not be so fortunate, with Pique and Luis Suarez additionally 33 and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba 31.
All of them have performed a component in Barca’s golden period however that period feels a very long time in the past now and if this workforce is to regenerate, courageous choices should be made.
Frenkie de Jong, Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig are the longer term, smothered this season by the failures of these forward of them and maybe able to be trusted to guide.
If it is the tip of an period for Barcelona, it’s for Spain too. The nationwide workforce might have lengthy been overtaken however Messi stored Barca difficult whereas the Champions League turned the dominion of Real Madrid.
Not anymore, this the primary yr since 2007 that the semi-finals might be with no Spanish membership, and the primary since 2005 with out both Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Who will lead the Barca revolution is unknown, with Xavi Hernandez, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman all sufficiently delay that they rejected the possibility in January. Will they be any keener now?
Barcelona won’t have the cash to make massive additions, that means they might should look inside.
But that may be a long-term mission, which the membership can not assure both given their presidential elections are due in 2021. A brand new regime may nicely deliver a brand new coach too.
A yr may even really feel like a very long time for the present president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who wouldn’t rule out the elections being introduced ahead on Friday.
“Today was a disaster,” he mentioned. “Some decisions we had already thought to take and others we will think about in the next few days.”
Since 2014, his board have stumbled from blunder to blunder, all of the whereas alienating the dressing room and driving this era of chaos and decline.
Promoted
It started with Neymar leaving and by no means being changed, the frantic makes an attempt to deliver him again then failing as a result of the funds had been squandered elsewhere.
And it ended with a public humiliation that Messi noticed coming. It had been coming for a very long time.
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