In the times of the Barcelona of Pep Guardiola, The Mexican coach Miguel Mejía Baró he used to write that he really liked watching the matches of the Catalan team, so that he would win and lose, he always gave a good example.
For the game against Paris Saint-Germain, far from the most loyal Catalan fans dreaming of a historic comeback, what to expect from Barcelona is to end the string of ridicule every time they are eliminated from the Champions League .
For a club the size of Barça, the minimum that can be demanded is that it competes, that it puts its hands, that it be present in the party. It has a 4-1 disadvantage and according to what has been seen in the First leg, it does not have enough arguments to defeat a rival that today is clearly superior in virtually every way.
Koeman can – and must – say that “there are no impossibilities” and Joan Laporta proclaim that if they already beat him once in the PSG, the feat is within reach. They play their part and are not going to be defeated in Paris.
The truth is that not even clinging to Leo Messi and expect him to toast one of his traditional epic performances will come.
The comeback (from 0-2) to Sevilla in the Semifinal of the Copa del Rey, the rise in the League (in which they are second to three points of Atletico) or appeal to the ‘memory of the 6-1 four years ago against the same rival, are not football arguments to believe in a new feat.
Barcelona is suffering from four years of embarrassing eliminations in the top competition at the level of clubs: Juventus, Roma, Liverpool and Bayern Munich … And last but not least, in the first leg against PSG at the Camp Nou he ate a 1-4 and was exhibited from head to toe.
Barça have not been out of the Champions League round of 16 for 13 years, and all indications are that this statistic will be broken. However, even if it is removed, this time the shapes have to change.
The team led by Ronald Koeman is forced to compete, not to drag its history, to be respected even in defeat, to set a good example, then, as Miguel Mejía Baró said.
No more ridiculous like the one in Rome, not another ‘tragedy’ like the one in Anfield, and not to mention the disaster and the 8-2 in Lisbon … No more, Barcelona. Compete, put your hands up and say goodbye with dignity.