Barcelona has yet another early UEFA Champions League (UCL) group-stage exit, entering the UEFA Europa League. Meanwhile, Barca president Joan Laporta admits it is a shame and refrained from blaming the players and the coach.
Spanish giants Barcelona have been ousted from the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage. While its fate was already sealed earlier during the day, when Italian giants Inter Milan pummelled Viktoria Plenz 4-0, Barca was hammered 0-3 by German champion Bayern Munich at Camp Nou in Barcelona. As a result, it is confirmed for a third-place finish, while it would be entering the UEFA Europa League (UEL) Round of 32. Meanwhile, the Catalans' president Joan Laporta expressed his displeasure at the situation and referred to it as a shame. However, he did not blame his players or the coach for it.
Interacting with Barca TV after the failure, Laporta registered, "It's a shame, but you can't blame the players or the coach for anything. We have to look forward because we have LaLiga and other competitions left. It is a young project in which, from the beginning, we knew we would have ups and downs. The league remains, and we have to show that we continue."
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"Bayern is a consolidated and powerful team, one of the best in Europe, and they did not play anything. They left relaxed. For us, it was very complicated, and the [Inter] game against Plzen was torture, but we still have faith," added Laporta, reports FotMob. When asked about Barcelona's chances in La Liga, he communicated, "La Liga is critical, and we have it close. The message is to look forward. It has already happened."
Barca is currently placed second in La Liga, three points behind defending champion Real Madrid. Also, it would be the club's second straight season to play the UEL, while it is the first time since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaigns under Louis van Gaal.