Once the kings of Europe, now struggling to avoid bankruptcy, it is truly a sad situation for Barcelona. The Spanish giants have a lot on their plate at the moment and they still have the pressure of winning silverware. Last season the club went trophyless for the first time in 12 years but they may face the same outcome this season as well as new manager, Ronald Koeman, says that the club is going through a transitional phase and thus cannot be expected to win trophies.
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The Catalans had a massive chance to earn Koeman a piece of silverware in his first season at Camp Nou, in the Supercopa de Espana. Barcelona matched up against the Athletic club in the final and the odds were in their favor. However, Athletic managed to pull off a historic upset and win the cup by scoring three past the Catalans. It was a disappointing loss for Koeman and his team however, this was not the last chance to win a trophy and they still have a few more tournaments left.
Koeman is not too optimistic about winning silverware this season, however, saying that the team needs more time to settle down and understand his system and adjust to the new tactics. Along with that, internal struggles in the club are also affecting the player. In a pre-match press conference, the Dutch manager said,
"“I have said several times that this is a season where we are changing things, we are opting for young players. Barcelona are not about to win a lot of things right now.”Source Goal"
He went on to say that the club needs to lower their expectations and face reality. The club is not as strong as it used to be and there are many strong teams who will rival for the UEFA Champions League. The La Liga title is slowly but surely slipping away from their hands as although they sit fourth on the table, they are already 10 points behind the league leaders, who also have a game on their hands.
The only real challenge that Barcelona can offer at this moment will be in the Copa del Rey. Koeman’s men have already reached the quarter-finals and both of their most powerful rivals, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, have already been knocked out. They are the favorites to win that trophy and they must not concede another upset defeat.
Will Barca go another season trophyless?