MY ACCOUNT
Barcelona will become only the sixth club to win every possible major trophy if they go all the way in the Europa League this season.
Camp Nou legend Xavi was unable to prevent them crashing out of the Champions League in the group stage for the first time in 17 years after taking the reins in November.
But every cloud has a silver lining and falling into Europe’s second-tier competition gives the Catalans the chance to follow Chelsea into the history books after the Blues’ Club World Cup triumph completed their own clean sweep.
Ahead of the first leg of Barca’s Europa League knockout round play-off against Napoli tonight, we take a look at their pursuit of glory.
Famous Five
With Chelsea’s recent Club World Cup win, the Blues have now joined Europe’s elite group of teams who have won every major European trophy.
The group also boasts Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Ajax as members.
All have won the Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners’ Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup as well as boasting a full house of domestic honours.
The missing link
Barcelona’s trophy cabinet is stacked thanks to a rich heritage of success but they are yet to scoop the Europa League, or its predecessor — the UEFA Cup.
While they will expect to be competing for Europe’s biggest prize next season, you can only beat what is in front of you and, for now, that is Napoli.
Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and West Ham are among the clubs who will have something to say about Barca waltzing their way to the trophy.
But with the domestic title out of reach, the Spanish giants can throw everything in their pursuit of continental honours and complete the set.
Xavi’s at the wheel
Barcelona are firmly established as one of the all-time great football clubs but they have fallen on hard times recently.
Amid financial troubles and the shock of talisman Lionel Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain, Ronald Koeman could not steady the ship and was sacked after a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano in October left them ninth in the table.
Enter Xavi, who spent 31 years at Barca and won 25 trophies as a player before seeing out his career in Qatar with Al Sadd and enjoying a successful two-year stint as the Middle Eastern outfit’s manager.
Despite failing to beat Benfica and Bayern to avoid an early Champions League exit, the 42-year-old’s record of six wins and four draws from 11 LaLiga matches has seen his side climb to fourth.
And with Adama Traore, Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arriving in the winter transfer window, the mood is starting to lift around the club.
Completing the clean sweep — and becoming the first LaLiga side to do so — is the first step on the road to recovery. The next is a return to global domination.
