Written by David Smith
Last month Barcelona fell short again in Europe’s premier competition. The 3-2 aggregate loss to Atletico Madrid continues their elusive quest for la sexta. For the past 11 years, the Champions League has been Barca’s Achilles’ heel. The Blaugrana have been knocked out in various different circumstances. Be it through a red card, the wrong end of a comeback or a last-minute goal, these shortcomings have become a tough pill to swallow at the end of every campaign.
After winning the trophy in 2015 under Luis Enrique, Barcelona went three seasons in a row without making it past the quarter-final stage. Ernesto Valverde replaced him in the summer of 2017, winning the domestic double in his first season, but losing to Roma in the quarters despite 4-1 first-leg victory. The following season was looked set to be a magical one. La Liga had been wrapped up by matchday 35, a Copa del Rey final was lined-up for the end of May and a Champions League final loomed on the horizon. By the end of May, Barcelona had to ‘settle’ for La Liga, as they had squandered a 3-0 lead in the CL semi-final to Liverpool and missed out on the Copa del Rey.
Ahead of the start of the new season, Leo Messi gave a customary captain’s speech in front of the new Camp Nou. He acknowledged the ‘bitter’ ending of the previous season but he emphasized the importance of winning La Liga, as it was the eighth title in 11 years.
‘Maybe today we don’t give it the value it deserves but in a few years we will realise how difficult it is to do that’.
Since the 2019-2020 season, no team has been able to retain their league crown. Barcelona under Hansi Flick are on the cusp of achieving that feat. They stand 11 points clear at the top with four games left. Winning La Liga in consecutive seasons whilst lacking an edge in the Champions League may draw some parallels between the tenures of Valverde and Flick but that is where their similarities end.
Valverde entered his third season with a core of ageing players, whose best days were behind them. Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique were all showing signs of regression, and all eventually departed within a four-year period. The loss to Liverpool badly exposed weaknesses in the squad and its need for a rebuild.
There also seemed to be a disconnect between the board and the manager. Players were being signed based on reputation, without accounting for how they fit in tactically. Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann, Arturo Vidal arrived without a clear role in the team, the first two still ranking in their top three most expensive signings. Although they showed glimpses of their quality, neither found their place in the team. Valverde was eventually sacked in January 2020, perhaps unfairly, after a loss in the Supercopa.
But it is unlikely Flick’s time at Barcelona will unravel in such a way. The German manager has not seen major investment made in his squad due to a seemingly never ending battle to bring costs withi their salary limit. Beyond that, the squad has been built upon a core of young players who have performed exceptionally well. The 61-year-old has even managed to breathe new life into Frenkie de Jong, a player Valverde struggled to utilise properly. The lack of experience in the squad did show against Atletico, let down by red cards in both legs, and a failure to take advantage of the plethora of chances they had in front of goal.
The manner of the elimination does not require a massive rebuild. There is also a good relationship between Flick and Director of Football Deco. “We look for the same players, we have the same philosophy and he lets us work, which is the most important thing. I’ve never had anything like this in my career and I appreciate it a lot,” said a warm Flick before facing RCD Mallorca in February.
What has caused major issues for Flick and his staff are the number of injuries the squad has been plagued with. A number of key players have suffered hamstring problems, a list headlined by Raphinha and Pedri. The former has suffered three separate hamstring issues, and it remains to be seen whether he will feature in El Clasico on the 10th of May. The Athletic also reported earlier in the season that there had been several disagreements between players and fitness staff, which were only intensified after players like Raphinha suffered setbacks.
This chronic crisis that Barcelona find themselves in makes their prospective league title all the more impressive. Especially when considering that their Madrid rivals have spent far more in the transfer window. According to Transfermarkt, Atletico have spent over €260m over the past two seasons and Real Madrid over €215m while also adding Kylian Mbappe to their ranks.
The Catalans could benefit from some more reinforcements. Alessandro Bastoni has been heavily linked to Barcelona in recent weeks along with Julian Alvarez. The addition of more squad players to share some of the heavy load may be what makes the difference in the long-term, and helps Barcelona re-conquer Europe.
