One of the best football teams of this century, Barcelona, had one of its worst years ever in 2020, so much that they are close to losing who is considered to be, by many, as the world’s best player today, Lionel Messi, who we once thought would retire as a Barcelona player.
In fact, 2020 has been the first calendar year in a long time, in which Barcelona did not win a single trophy, and that says a lot about a team that was used to winning everything just a few years ago.
But what has been the problem this year at the club? What has caused one of the best teams ever to end the year trophyless and in the 6th overall place in the league’s table? What has caused Messi to have one of his worst years in numbers?
Some clues to Barcelona’s downfall
There are different issues and different moments throughout the year that have all summed up to this moment, but one of the main points is the bad decisions that team’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has been making along the years. The team has practically been dismantled, with some of the biggest stars leaving or retiring, while the club hasn’t been able to replace them successfully or to come up with a plan to deal with this situation.
Bartomeu has been questioned many times for financial issues as well, he hasn´t been able to deal with stars the proper way, not even Messi has received the love that you think any team president would give him, and that’s why now he wants out, and has had it in mind for years.
Neymar Jr. was supposed to be the teams biggest signing after Messi, but he decided to leave after just a few years, Luis Suarez was surprisingly traded, and Messi has come to feel alone in the club, with no real purpose more than pleasing his loyal fans.
Messi wants out of Barcelona
He’s had it in mind for years, and that’s why contract extensions have never been easy, but after last season Messi just had enough and he made it public that he wanted to leave the team immediately. Barcelona found a legal way to force him to stay, but it’s just not the same anymore, and you can see it in the way he plays, which greatly affects the whole team.
Barcelona has been humiliated a few times in the past couple of seasons, by Liverpool and by Bayern Múnich in Champions League, as we all can remember, Real Madrid dominated over them in 2020, small teams have been able to beat them a few times along the year, players have not been at a good level, head coaches have come and gone, and now Koeman is already in big trouble.
The good news for them is that a presidential election is coming soon, and it’s time to take this chance to stop and reevaluate, to make big changes and better decisions. Can they get out of this whole? Of course, they can, but it’s going to take time and effort from everyone involved.
