MY ACCOUNT
Barcelona president Joan Laporta called for unity after the embattled club were dumped out of the Champions League.
Barca were consigned to the Europa League/UEFA Cup for the first time since 2003-04 on Wednesday, outclassed 3-0 by Group E winners Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena.
Xavi’s Barca needed to win or hope Benfica failed to beat Dynamo Kiev elsewhere in the final round of group fixtures in order to avoid elimination, but the struggling LaLiga giants were no match for Bayern, who were led by goals from Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala.
It is the fourth time Barcelona have been eliminated in the Champions League group stage after 1997-98, 1998-99 and 2000-01, and the second time that they have fallen to the secondary European competition from the Champions League group stage following 2000-2001 (then, to play the UEFA Cup after finishing third behind Milan and Leeds United).
Barca are also seventh in LaLiga, 16 points off the pace as Laporta addressed the club’s plight.
“We are sad about this result, but we have to move on. It is time to work hard and try to reverse this situation,” Laporta told TV3.
“We have not been able to go down to the locker room to lift the players. We will speak with the coaching staff on the plane.
“We did what we could and now we have to try to overcome this situation.
“I make a call to all the Barcelona fans, today more than ever we have to row all together in the same direction to try to overcome this situation altogether.”
Barca’s tally of two goals after their six group-stage matches is their lowest recorded total in the Champions League, whilst only in 1997-98 (14) did they concede more goals at this stage than the nine they have shipped this season.
Xavi became second Barcelona head coach to fail to win in his first two Champions League games (D1 L1), after Louis Van Gaal in 1997 (D1 L1).
Barca boss Xavi added in a news conference: “This must be a turning point. I have told the players, today a new stage has to begin for Barca, revealing ourselves to this situation.
“We cannot accept this situation because Barcelona does not deserve to be where we are today. I tell the Barcelona fans that we will work hard because I feel this club, I love this club and we will work hard. We will leave our skin to [help] Barca recover and put them where they deserve, and that is not in the Europa League.
“But we have to face it, it is a hard reality but it is what there is. It is the reality and we have to face it and rebel and this has to serve as a turning point to improve.”
