Barcelona must now start from scratch

With Champions League exit confirmed, Barcelona must start from scratch

Barcelona suffered one of the lowest points in club history when they were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage after losing 3-0 at Bayern Munich.

Try as they might, the Catalans were simply no match for a Bayern side who were clicking on all cylinders despite some notable absences.

The elimination demonstrated once again how far Barcelona truly are from competing with the elite sides in Europe. It’s a realization that new manager Xavi Hernandez had to find out for himself.

"“Bayern dominated us,” Xavi said. “We always want to dominate but it was the opposite here. We must demand more. We’re Barca. This must be a point of inflection to change the dynamic and many more things.“This is the Champions League, but this is also our reality. It’s the situation we’re in. I’m angry. This is the reality and it p***es me off. We have to tackle it face on. There’s nothing else for it.Source: Sky Sports"

Amidst all the rubble and turmoil surrounding the club, dropping down to the Europa League presents an opportunity. As Xavi said during his post match press conference, “a new era starts today.”

The “new era” could mean many different things. One thing, for certain, is going to be the departure of a number of players. As expected, Xavi was not at all happy with the way his team performed and he let the players know it during halftime. According to Sport, Xavi tore into them and said some of them did not know what it means to play for Barcelona.

As expected, reports have trickled down that the club expect a “revolution” with a minor clear out during the upcoming winter transfer window. The final decision on a number of players will then be made at the end of the season.

The usual names like Samuel Umtiti, Luuk de Jong, Philippe Coutinho and Neto are on the list.

Following another dismal display against Bayern Munich, and his lack of progress since arriving, Sergiño Dest is another player who has been added to the list with Xavi being disappointed in his performance.

Also singled out are Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was at fault for the second goal, and Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder was considered non-transferable by Xavi but he is one of the few players Barcelona could get a high transfer fee.

Hitting rock bottom was the only way something was going to change. Many expected it to come after the 8-2 loss, also against Bayern Munich, but it didn’t happen. Under Joan Laporta, perhaps things will be different this time around.

Though one can argue he isn’t without fault after not being able to re-sign Lionel Messi and not making the decision quick enough to sack Ronald Koeman. What’s done is done and Barcelona cannot look back, only forward.

The Europa League is a competition Barcelona need to win despite its perception as a second-rate trophy. Given their position in the league table, it looks like their best shot at making the Champions League next season.

With the competition not starting until February, Xavi could try out different things and utilize different players to see which ones he can count on for next season. Assuming Barcelona are able to sign a couple of players during January, it’s an opportunity to integrate them into the team and get comfortable with their new teammates.

The Europa League is Barcelona’s new reality. There is no way around it. Years of mismanagement has led to this moment and now they must find a way to dig themselves out of it. At the very least, they have someone in Xavi Hernandez who seems capable of being in charge and righting the ship.