The Aftermath: Barcelona’s Champions League exit and the truths it has laid bare
The Aftermath: Barcelona’s Champions League exit and the truths it has laid bare Exiting the Champions League is always a bitter blow. More so, if you are FC Barcelona and are now entering the twelfth year running of their wait for European glory. A lot has been made of that particular fact and other humbling truths that came to the fore following the deflating loss to Atletico Madrid on aggregate – the team’s lack of experience, the high-line setup and squad planning being among the usual suspects.
But now with the dust starting to settle on the forgettable European campaign, there are some key conclusions that can be derived for Hansi Flick and his team before they pick up the pieces, get back to the drawing board and start to prepare for their next chance at silverware. Barcelona were NOT the best in Europe Ever since Hansi Flick took over, there has been this air of inevitability about Barcelona. They score at will, cut through with extreme precision and are ruthless in their scrimmaging on the pitch.
While the previous campaign was the showcase of all these qualities on full tilt – a clear sign of recovery in the Champions League, this year we saw a team still sore from the knockout blow at the hands of Inter Milan at the semi-final stage last term. Flick had a big task on his hands to get this group going again, and he knew that the squad, being as young as it is, needed to learn from the disappointment and bounce back. Cut forward to the present day, if honesty is the memo of this discussion, Barcelona were a shell of themselves on the continental stage.
They barely managed to finish in the Top 8 of the league phase. They were made to work for their ultimately credential-proving win over Newcastle United – at least away from home in the Round of 16. And they couldn’t clear a local rival who is languishing 22 points behind them in La Liga.
Falling short in Europe again. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The Catalans may have played well across the tie, but Barcelona have not stepped up when it has mattered this season in Europe. PSG at Montjuic was a wake-up call.
Continue to the original source for the full article.