Neymar judged in Barcelona one month earlier than the World Cup in Qatar

Caught up by its defensive fragility within the Champions League and in full doubt earlier than a clasico on the high on Sunday, Barcelona fears being transferred to the modest Europa League, like final yr.

A outcome that will crush its fragile budgetary stability.

Robert Lewandowski, second within the Ballon d’Or 2021 and third high scorer within the historical past of the Champions League, will he need to resign himself to enjoying within the Europa League in January? This may little question quickly be a actuality.

After the 3-3 draw conceded Wednesday night time in opposition to Inter Milan, it might take a miracle for Barça to keep away from eviction from the group stage of the Champions League. An elimination as catastrophic as it’s historic: Barça haven’t missed the knockout part of the Champions League twice in a row because the 1998-1999 season, i.e. 24 years.

In two weeks, the Catalans will know their destiny earlier than the beginning of their duel in opposition to Bayern Munich on the Camp Nou: if on Wednesday October 26 at 6.45 p.m. Inter beat the not very formidable Viktoria Plzen at San Siro, Barça will begin his match at 9:00 p.m. having already been mathematically eradicated from the Champions League.

Third place within the group, synonymous with the Europa League, appears virtually sure, however it’s scant comfort in view of the ambitions of Barça, who’ve spent lavishly to strengthen themselves within the low season.

“Aspire to raised”

“On the point of catastrophe”, agreed the Madrid sports activities newspapers Marca and As on their respective entrance pages on Thursday. “Alive by miracle”, constructive on its entrance web page the Catalan each day Sport, whereas its competitor Mundo Deportivo was extra radical, by titling: “digital knockout”.

“It is merciless”, lamented Xavi in ​​a post-match press convention, saying to himself “indignant, disenchanted, unhappy, upset, and somewhat enraged”. “Our errors killed us,” summed up the Catalan coach.

“With the recruitment we made, we needed to aspire to raised,” stated captain Sergio Busquets after the match.

Final season, the elimination of the C1 had accomplished Barça, already sounded by the departure of its emblem Lionel Messi at Paris SG and weakened by a number of financial and institutional earthquakes.

Defeated (3-2, 1-1) within the quarter-finals of C3 by Eintracht Frankfurt, future winner of the competitors, Barça then tried all the things to seek out the entrance of the European scene.

He activated a number of financial levers, signed a colossal new sponsorship contract with Spotify and mortgaged shares of his belongings to spend 143 M EUR and entice seven gamers in the course of the summer season switch window.

Excessive-sounding names, like Raphinha, Jules Koundé or Lewandowski, which is not going to be amortized instantly.

Financial catastrophe

Sunday, in the course of the unusual normal meeting of Barça, the leaders offered a document provisional funds of 1.255 billion euros … assuming that their staff would attain at the very least the stage of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

By falling from the group stage, Barça due to this fact misses the advantage bonuses paid by UEFA: 9.6 M EUR for qualification for the spherical of 16 and 10.6 M EUR for qualification for the quarters.

That’s, in complete, a shortfall of at the very least EUR 20.2 million… which can’t be made up for even within the occasion of a victory within the Europa League (the whole thing of their journey to victory would deliver them EUR 14.4m).

To not point out the shortfall in ticketing and by-product merchandise, on condition that the oppositions in C3 are more likely to arouse much less curiosity than the massive posters of C1.

This bitter failure could be defined sportingly: cascading accidents, a patched up and determined protection, responsible executives, like Busquets or Gerard Pique …

“We made errors that we’re not allowed to make at this stage. It is a onerous blow, however we’ve to attempt to recuperate shortly mentally, to go to the Bernabéu with confidence”, instructed Eric Garcia on the ultimate whistle.

As a result of the following deadline arrives on Sunday (4:15 p.m.) for the Blaugranas, with the primary clasico of the season in La Liga. And Actual Madrid readily imagines itself because the gravedigger of a Barça on the sting of the abyss.

This text has been printed mechanically. Sources: ats / afp