Barcelona’s fall from the greatest club football tournament has been the talk of the footballing world recently. At the start of the season, although many agreed that Barcelona would have a tough year, no one expected them to exit the UEFA Champions League so soon. This is the first time in years that the club has not managed to make it out of the group stage and the first time since the rebranding. Words from their coach, Xavi Hernandez, was the final nail in the coffin for Barca fans, as they will now have to accept the fact that the Blaugrana are not the club that they used to be but rather a club that needs to fight for UCL qualification.
After the Catalans were thrashed 3-0 again by Bayern Munich, Xavi gave a damning statement saying that the Champions League is the objective but the Europa League is the reality. However, in a disappointed yet passionate statement, Xavi mentioned that Barcelona cannot rest now and a completely new and re-energized team has to be built. The talent is there, now it is time to utilize the talent properly and find a new dynamic and chemistry within the team. He said in the post-match interview,
"“Bayern dominated us. We always want to dominate but it was the opposite here. We must demand more. We’re Barca. ”“This is the reality and it pisses me off. We have to tackle it face on. There’s nothing else for it. A new era starts today. We start from zero. Our objective is the Champions League, not the Europa League but that is our reality now and we have to try and win it.”Source Official FCB Twitter"
Xavi went on to applaud Bayern and admitted that the Germans were the better side overall but with hard work and determination, Barcelona can earn their top spot in Europe back. The throne is waiting for the Catalans and they must find a way to reclaim it. The club has a lot of young talents such as Ansu Fati, Pedri, Ronald Araujo, Gavi, etc and now it is time to build the team around them and used them properly. Hiring Xavi was a good idea as a young coach is perfect for dealing with young players and the former World Cup winner learnt from one of the best in the world, Pep Guardiola. Barcelona might be sleeping now but Xavi is willing to work tirelessly in order to bring the Catalans back to where they deserve to be and that is on top of the world.
What changes would you like Xavi to make?