Barcelona star publicly slams Luis Enrique
Sergio Busquets blames Luis Enrique for Barcelona’s failure in Paris
There’s only one man taking the heat for Barcelona’s miserable performance at PSG in the Champions League. If I didn’t know better, I might believe that Luis Enrique was Spanish for “scapegoat” the way he’s being battered by Barcelona fans and players.
Perhaps the most telling criticism came from the mouth of Sergio Busquets. The veteran midfielder didn’t call his manager out by name, but his meaning was clear. When he referred to his PSG as being “better tactfully” than his own club there can be no doubt it was a shot at Enrique.
Stinging words from an elder statesman like Busquets likely signal the end for Enrique. He didn’t come into the match against PSG with a ton of support, but any proponents he had have disappeared in the aftermath of the 4-0 drubbing. Most Barcelona fans would prefer to see him removed immediately.
They are unlikely to get their wish. Removing Enrique at this stage of the season would only further disrupt the squad. If Barca fans think the squad is underperforming with Enrique at the helm, just imagine how bad things can get under an interim boss. Removing Enrique is a task that is better left to the end of the campaign.
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In the meantime, he’s going to be left with the unenviable task of trying to motivate a group of players that know he already has one foot out the door. Expect Barcelona to play pretty erratic football the rest of the way. There will be some moments of brilliance against lesser opposition, but they will struggle to play disciplined football against elite competition.
Sure, they might play well enough at Camp Nou to make things interesting against PSG, but it will be nearly impossible for them to advance to the Champions League Round of 8. Unai Emery’s men will come to Spain with a very conservative setup. They’ll be more than happy to play a boring, close match that allows them to dispatch the Spanish giants.
What’s even more concerning than the words Busquets uttered publicly, are the words that are certainly being strewn about in the Barcelona dressing room. If a player with the maturity of Busquets is making thinly veiled criticisms in the media, you can only imagine what younger, less mature stars might be saying behind closed doors.
Next: Verratti pushing for Barcelona move
Luis Enrique will not be the manager of Barcelona next season. The words of Sergio Busquets make it abundantly clear that his players have already given up on their current manager.