Barcelona suffer early Champions League exit for 2nd straight season
The consequences of Barcelona’s summer gamble could be disastrous.
Months removed from an infamous spending spree, the Catalan club was officially knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday after Inter Milan secured the final knockout round spot in Group C with a 4-0 victory over Viktoria Plzen.
It’s the second consecutive season Barca have failed to reach the last 16 in the competition.
Barcelona were eliminated prior to their 3-0 loss against Bayern Munich later in the day.
Defeats earlier in the tournament against Bayern and Inter ultimately proved too much for Xavi Hernandez’s side to overcome. A chaotic 3-3 draw with Inter on Matchday 4 meant Barca needed maximum points from their final two games and results elsewhere to go in their favor.
The odds were too much of a hurdle in the end, with Inter living up to the billing as favorites heading into Wednesday’s meeting with Plzen. Goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Edin Dzeko, and the returning Romelu Lukaku fuelled the Italian side to victory and sealed a place in the Champions League last 16.
Getting knocked out of the group stage was among the worst possible outcomes for the Catalan giants, who made heavy investments in the summer despite reporting massive amounts of debt.
Barcelona’s premature exit would’ve been viewed as a disaster among club officials and supporters alike under normal circumstances. But this season, the stakes were far higher for a club that seemingly depended on the Champions League campaign to help restore former glories.
The Blaugrana surprised many this past summer, dishing out hundreds of millions on new signings. Barca made blockbuster deals after club president Joan Laporta’s financial maneuvering. The Spanish side generated some funds through player departures, but a majority of the money raised this year came from selling television rights and merchandising licenses.
However, the arrival of star players such as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde couldn’t help avoid another group-stage exit, meaning Barca will now have to shift their attention to the Europa League.
