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Barcelona made all of it concerning the Champions League and after surrendering La Liga to Real Madrid, now it’s all they’ve left. Winning the title final season for the eighth time in 11 years was by no means going to be sufficient. Winning the double had not been both the yr earlier than. La Liga and the Copa del Rey had develop into Barca’s default, their home dominance taken as a right after which diminished by disappointment in Europe.
A large number of a season may nonetheless be saved by the Champions League however even essentially the most optimistic of followers anticipate the worst in opposition to Bayern Munich, Barcelona’s possible opponents within the quarter-finals.
Many, together with Lionel Messi, are frightened even about getting previous Napoli, with the pandemic-delayed final 16 matchup poised at 1-1. “I said long ago that if we continued in this way, it would be very difficult to win the Champions League and that has been shown to be the case in La Liga too,” mentioned a annoyed Messi after the loss to Osasuna on Thursday.
“If we want to fight for the Champions League we will have to change a lot because otherwise the match against Napoli, we will lose that as well.”
Just over a yr on from nearly profitable the treble, Barcelona look set to complete with no trophy of any variety for the primary time in 12 years.
And but the priority just isn’t a lot the numerous failures of this season however the chance they could possibly be simply the beginning.
Messi is 33 and his anger is directed primarily on the board, whose management has left Barcelona with a staff seemingly neither for the current nor the long run.
There has been no succession plan for Messi since Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2018 and that world document price has been squandered on gamers which have did not settle or been bought to stability the books.
Antoine Griezmann purchased for 120 million euros, left Atletico Madrid for the Camp Nou and what he thought could be the top of his membership profession. Yet earlier this month, he was diminished to coming off the bench, in opposition to Atletico, in injury-time.
And it’s not simply Messi nearing the top. Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba are all 31 or older.
Political blunders
Off the pitch, political blunders have angered the dressing room, with Messi issuing a public rebuke to sporting director Eric Abidal in February over the sacking of Ernesto Valverde.
Removing Valverde might need been comprehensible final summer season after two profitable years appeared to have run their course.
But a change mid-season, with Barca high of the desk, and to a coach like Quique Setien, whose concepts want time to be absorbed, now seems to be reckless.
Setien has admitted managing a squad like Barcelona’s has been a problem for him. He has intimated that some gamers have to assume extra concerning the staff.
He has made errors too and it stays to be seen if he pays along with his job. Bartomeu has mentioned Setien will keep for the Champions League however the 2-1 residence defeat by Osasuna intensified the doubts.
“I hope so,” mentioned Setien, when requested on Thursday if he could be in cost subsequent month.
But with presidential elections on the membership to come back subsequent yr, the place just isn’t a horny one for an elite coach.
If Bartomeu’s successor loses, Victor Font, a rival candidate, desires to nominate Xavi Hernandez. It means both Setien or his alternative face the prospect of 1 full season within the job, all of the whereas missing both authority or certainty in the long run.
Zinedine Zidane has proven what might be completed with an ageing Real squad that seems useless on its toes. But it’s exhausting to see who may carry out an equal rescue act at Barca or who could be ready to do it with this board nonetheless in place.
Without cash to spend within the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, the reply could possibly be to show once more to youth, with Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati already breaking by means of this season.
Promoted
Yet in a dysfunctioning staff, determined to win earlier than Messi retires, that method gives no ensures.
Messi’s clock hangs over every thing, with each failure enhanced by the sense that the membership’s best ever participant is being wasted. The largest fear now could be it may get even worse.
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