Another collapse of Barcelona after an investment of 215 million euros: "This year we have competed"

• Chronicle Barcelona is engulfed by a storm

• 'Negreira Case' The bubble of the Barcelona board of directors in Manchester

A handful of radical Barcelona fans were having a serious exchange of views with the security staff in the Old Trafford stands when

Without taking off his coat, he peeked into the tiny press room.

His team had fallen again at the wrong time in Europe, this time without having even reached the round of 16 of the Europa League, although against a Manchester United determined to regain lost prestige.

And therein lies the great defense of the Barça entity at this time in which it is difficult for him to raise his head: not having disintegrated before the rivals of the bourgeoisie, although without avoiding his usual continental destiny.

Eliminated in the Champions League in October (Bayern and Inter were his frontier), he could not survive in exile in the second competition beyond February either.

Last Thursday, February 9, before the

broke out , Laporta tried to show off his management during a long press conference.

In those, his football director,

to claim his leading role in something like a miracle of Fatima: "For an investment of around 74 million, because we bought for 215 million and sold for 141, we have managed to build a very competitive team."

The argument is undoubtedly valid for the League, where Barcelona have won 19 of their 22 games and lead Real Madrid by eight points;

also for the Copa del Rey, qualified for the semifinals with the first leg to be played next Thursday at the Bernabéu;

or for the Spanish Super Cup, Xavi's first title won in Arabia against the white team.

But, in Europe, the physical and emotional seams continue to unravel beyond repair.

"Last year it was almost impossible to compete. But this year we did compete well," Xavi defended himself in his appearance after Manchester United lifted Lewandowski's penalty goal in a great second half (2-1

.

"We have played against great teams: Bayern, Inter, United... We have competed with them, and last year it didn't even come to that. But due to details it has escaped us", continued the Barca coach.

The defeat at Old Trafford revealed some evidence (without

,

and

lose control, battle and imbalance), but it also confirmed some suspicions.

Although the quartet of midfielders made up of

,

,

and

held their own in the first half, in the second they were unable to keep up with the push of a United where Casemiro and Fred were enough in the wide area.

Winning a duel became a utopia.

Although much more worrisome was the team's offensive performance, which barely had a shot on goal three times at Old Trafford (one of them a penalty scored by Lewandowski, and another a header from a defender, Koundé

.

Raphinha

drove Xavi crazy.

He passed the former Leeds winger for being one of the star additions of the past summer market.

Laporta recruited him despite the renewal of Dembélé and after attending to the siren songs of his representative, the former Barça player

.

But Raphinha, in the match that was to change his luck in the team, only mixed bad decisions with the fuss of frustration.

Lewandowski, whose scoring figures this season admit little doubt (25 goals in 30 games), has also been hinting at a decline in his performance for weeks.

At Old Trafford he did not shoot more than from eleven meters (he had a chance at twilight canceled due to off-fire), and he could barely touch the ball 38 times despite playing 90 minutes.

improve

in the 20 minutes that he had, or

, invaluable in the final quarter of an hour and who continues to fuel sales expectations by Barcelona.

With serious difficulties to continue vitaminizing the team with new signings (LaLiga demands a reduction in the salary mass of 200 million euros from Barcelona), without yet knowing the extent of the injuries in the Negreira case, and with a transfer to Montjuïc that will

open plus the economic hole, Barcelona continues to look at Europe from indifference.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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