Eliminated from the Champions League by the victory of Inter even before the kick-off of their match once morest Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona conceded a third defeat in five Champions League matches by losing 0-3 once morest Bayern Munich, in front of their home crowd.
“A consummate failure”, in the eyes of the Catalan daily Sport, which was quick to ask President Joan Laporta if Xavi’s position was weakened by this elimination. His answer: “We have to move on, there are other competitions. We knew there would be ups and downs in this reconstruction”, insisting on the “good job” of his coach.
For its part, Mundo Deportivo title “Ciao. Kaputt”, in reference to the two executioners of Barça in this C1: Inter and Bayern. “Barça are relegated to the Europa League for the second consecutive season, a victim of their impotence. It was immediately clear that the Bavarians had not come to Camp Nou on vacation or to make concessions. They put a lot of intensity, like the ten fouls committed in the first half and the long sequences of ball possession despite the good Barcelona attitude.”
And to underline the disappointment of Robert Lewandowski, who remained silent in the face of his old colors: “He left Germany to seek a shorter path to the Ballon d’Or but he only found another great disappointment.” And to remember that the Pole had not been eliminated from the group stage for eleven years.
The third leading daily, L’Esportiu, crossed out its front page with a single word: “Penance.” And to specify in its pages that “miracles are in Lourdes.” The media evokes “the weight of the inevitable”, a “predictable scenario” and compares the Europa League to a purgatory. While specifying that “The fact that it is something expected and assumed in advance does not diminish his pain.”
Second in La Liga with nine wins, a draw and a defeat, Barça will have to keep pace with Real Madrid in the fight for the title and will not be allowed to make mistakes either in the Copa del Rey and in Europa League…
