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.
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. Chelsea was the warning. Atletico merrily knocked the final nail.
For nearly two years running now, Barcelona have had a fantastic opportunity to reach the final of the Champions League. And for all the promise they have and continue to hold, the team has failed to deliver.
The Champions League is elusive. 36 teams go head-to-head in their bid to claim the tag of being Europe’s absolute best. It is a stamp that Barcelona have been striving for over a decade now.
While the team has come close a few times to experiencing that magical feeling once again and have been dearly embarrassed on other occasions, with each attempt – often felt as futile by the end of it – the pressure ramps up on the club to deliver.
And this is where obsession is mistaken for motivation.
Yes, Barcelona long for Champions League glory. But if they can lose since they are a young side still getting to grips with the harsh dose of failure in the Champions League, they also have time on their hands to mature after a few bruises to bring home the cup.
Their youth presents this dichotomy – two sides of the same coin. It is fearful to say, the noise surrounding the team at the moment is not appreciative of the latter.
This is not an excuse to look at the bright side either, but a plea to the fans, stakeholders and the team itself to not be blinded in their pursuit of the trophy.
Barcelona have gone over a decade without conquering Europe. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
When Lionel Messi and co. attempted to win it all, the pressure and weight of expectations were understandably heavy because that team of the time was operating at its peak – with experience and quality.