Well, we have many things to improve, but not just us. It's very complicated when the rules are different, whether they're in your favor or against you, but if we have to play against everyone to win, so be it... We'll do it. Visca el Barça always.
The Champions League play-offs have kicked off this week and fortunately don't include Barcelona as Hansi Flick's side made it safely through to the knockout stages of the 2025-26 Champions League by finishing fifth in the standings, behind Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Tottenham. Chelsea, Sporting and Manchester City were the three other teams to seal automatic promotion and so have avoided having to go into a two-legged play-off to reach the next round of Europe's top club competition.
While the performance was not at its best, the headlines were dominated by the controversial refereeing once again, as Girona's winner should have been chalked off for a foul on Jules Kounde in the buildup, but was overlooked by the referee and the VAR. Barcelona outraged As such, Mundo Deportivo reports that there is serious anger and indignation within Barcelona over the clear stamp by Claudio Echeverri on Kounde before Girona's decisive goal, especially when compared with similar incidents in the past.
Barcelona were linked with Marcos Senesi in the January transfer window and the Bournemouth star's name has cropped up again ahead of the summer. Reporter Matteo Moretto says that Barcelona are one of several clubs keen on the defender, who is out of contract at the end of the season and expected to move on from the Premier League side. "Senesi is performing very well at Bournemouth and there are Premier League teams preparing offers," he said.
Well, we have many things to improve, but not just us. It's very complicated when the rules are different, whether they're in your favour or against you, but if we have to play against everyone to win, so be it... We'll do it..
The word of the day in Barcelona is frustration. This Girona game should have been put away in the first half, but that of course assumes Barcelona is able to put away their chances. Lamine Yamal alone missed three point blank opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, one of which was a penalty. When Barcelona finally took the lead behind a redemptive goal from Pau Cubarsí, Girona pulled one back within minutes.
Barcelona's heavy defeat against Atletico Madrid did not come out of nowhere. In many ways, it felt like the natural result of a pattern that has been building for weeks. The team had already shown signs of vulnerability in the opening stages of matches, but they had often managed to escape thanks to strong second-half reactions. Against Atletico Madrid, however, there was no way back after the damage done in the first 45 minutes.
Who is Soto Grado? As pointed out by Diario SPORT, Grado's appointment has raised immediate concern within the Blaugrana dressing room. The official arrives amidst intense controversy following Pau Cubarsí's disallowed goal against Atletico Madrid, which prompted formal complaints from the club. Soto Grado has a turbulent history with Barça, yielding a record of seven wins, three draws, and six defeats across 16 matches.
While the loss at the Metropolitano halted significant momentum, Hansi Flick remains confident that the team can bounce back to their best. A major part of this optimism stems from the imminent return of several heavyweights to the squad over the coming weeks. As pointed out by Diario AS, the most immediate boost comes from Raphinha, who returned to group training on Friday and is expected to feature against Girona tomorrow. His leadership and aggression were sorely missed in the capital, where the team lacked a figurehead to resist the opponent's onslaught.
