With Barcelona vs Bayern Munich debate, Barcelona had been handed the most difficult group in the Champions League group stages, with teams like Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Plzen, with the stars Barcelona enjoy it might have been predicted that Bayern and Barcelona might come out as the top.
But this was not 2015, and as for the fans, the recent performance of Barcelona in the Champions League might not surprise them that they are headed towards the Europa League for the second consecutive season in a row.
Barcelona had faced difficulties in facing Bayern Munich, with Bayern thrashing Barcelona 8-2 in the faithful Champions League night at Portugal in 2020. The defeat seems to have zapped the confidence whenever they face Bayern Munich, Since then Barcelona hasn't been the same.
They have struggled to keep up with the German Powerhouse, as chey were again outplayed by Bayern Munich on their Home turf in Camp Nou losing to a 3-goal margin this time round.
With the significant summer signing, this year was the year majority of Barcelona fans were thrilled for, with the addition of players like Lewandowski, Raphina, and Kounde, surely Barcelona should be able to at least reach the Champions League Final, but with the utter disappointment of the fans the team has crashed out in the Group Stages of the Champions League.
So was Barcelona pulling all their economic lever to waste?
Barcelona has sold their naming rights of the stadium to Spotify, they have some of the Barca studios, and whatnot, Some part or the other has been sold to help Barcelona buy players this summer transfer window.
The amount of money Barcelona will be losing by crashing out of the Champions League is huge, just Imagine the huge T.V Broadcasting revenue the Champions League brings in, or the number of money Clubs are given when they qualify for the next round of the Champions League, this all features will be missed by Barcelona as they now will be playing in the Europa League.
They also have various other problems to fight for, they are at war with their players in wages, Frankie De Jong is a prime target since he was one of the biggest gainers of the Lucretius contract Bartemou has provided, Barcelona also has active loan debt to pay, At some point, the Catalonian club was even said to have debt amounting to $1.3 billion.
Barcelona also has to pay a certain sum of money to various clubs for the players they have bought For example Barcelona still has to pay 25 Million Pounds to Liverpool for Phillipe Coutinho, and Countinho doesn't even play for Barcelona anymore, crazy right?
With the current setback in the Champions League, Barcelona might be clear in their minds that they might not be ready for European Football right now.
Barcelona still is actively running for the La Liga title as they sit behind Real Madrid in the second position.
Xavi has come under the most pressure after the recent performance of the Blaugnrans, his stubbornness to play Sergio Busquets in the middle o the park has been costly for Barcelona, Even during the ElClassico Sergio Busquests was at fault for the first goal as he tried to tackle Toni Kroos to a group which ended in Kroos providing an excellent ball to Vinicius which was after converted by Lewandowski.
Xavi has played Busquests in the main games, possibly thinking that the veteran's experience might be something he can't count off, but Frankie De Jong has been fantastic in that CDM role.
With Frankie's position in jeopardy due to his dispute because of the deferred wages, Barcelona has already become a financial mess, Will letting go of Frankie be the option Barcelona consider in the future? No one knows, but it was rumoured that Barcelona might sell Frankie to Manchester United if the right offer came in.