"We are a weak team. If we continue like this, we will lose the game against Napoli," said Barcelona skipper Lionel Messi after the club suffered a stunning 1-2 defeat against 11th-placed Osasuna.
The defeat left Barcelona on 79 points, seven behind Real Madrid with one game left, thereby handing Los Blancos their 34th La Liga title.
"We didn't want to end the season like this but it represents how the season has gone. We were a very erratic, very weak, low-intensity team… We lost a lot of points and today's game is a summary of the season," said Messi.
Messi's reaction after scoring a free-kick against Osasuna explains the club's current situation.
Watch his reaction below:
Despite being crowned league winners in two previous seasons, Barcelona, the team that is recognised as a one-man team by many across the world, has failed to gain the 'European Champions' status in more than four years.
The club, from winning a treble in 2014-15 season under Luis Enrique, may become a victim of a trophyless season this year.
What has gone wrong for the club in recent years? Is it the manager? The board? The defence? what has gone wrong in recent years for the club? Is it the manager? The board? The defence? One can only speculate such thoughts as they see their favourite club not having a stronger hand as they had earlier.
Over the years, Barcelona's backline has slowly deteriorated. Gerard Pique is not in his prime, Samuel Umtiti is prone to injuries which have kept him at bay, Clement Lenglet a promises a better future along, and the fullbacks, Jordi Alba and Nelson Semedo have less defensive instincts.
Marc-André ter Stegen has been a wall in goal but the club needs to do a lot better which is key for European dominance.
The midfield has a lot of potential with Frenkie de Jong, although the Dutchman is currently out due to injuries. With the likes of Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Barcelona's average squad age is over 30. Swapping 23-year-old Arthur Melo for Juventus' Miralem Pjanic who is 30, was one in Barcelona's long list of mindless transfers.
Luis Suarez, Barcelona's striker is out of his prime and it is time to let him go. Although, one of the greatest finishers of all time, the club cannot afford to have Suarez who has more lacklustre games than good ones. Barcelona's interest in Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez, who is currently at Inter Milan, means good news for the club.
Fans miss the golden era with Suarez in his prime.
Ousmane Dembele, a €105 million signing, has spent most of his time away due to injuries ever since he joined the club in 2017.
The Frenchman, Antoine Griezmann, who arrived at Camp Nou this season, is struggling to find his position under manager Quique Setien, and is mostly benched.
Earlier this month, there were rumours surrounding Setien - who replaced Ernesto Valverde in January - that he would be sacked if he fails to win the Champions League, if not La Liga. But the rumours were dismissed by the board. Is the manager to be blamed for what has gone wrong for the club in recent months?
"If we want to win the Champions League, we have to change a lot," said Messi, "Everything we have experienced since January has been very bad. We have to change a lot of things for real."
The Argentine international has been a key player for over a decade. Many Barcelona fans have blindly put their faith in Messi. The little wizard has proved himself worthy of the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) title over and over. But, can only one person turn the tables?
In recent years, Barcelona has won the league 5 times after the departure of Guardiola. But winning the Champions League only once, their European dominance is not up to the mark. Bottling the Champions League in two consecutive years, it has been a huge letdown for Barcelona fans who are highly doubting the manager's tactics.
"The fans are running out of patience because we're not giving them anything. It's normal," said Messi.
Can Barcelona get out of this phase and avoid going trophyless by winning this year's Champions League?
