Barcelona have crashed out of the Champions League and there could be serious repercussions.
Barca signed a raft of world-class players and also managed to clear much of the deadwood at the club this past summer transfer window. They are now laying the groundwork for future transfer windows. Having crashed out of the Champions League, Barca might now reassess their plans for the January transfer window.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 27 October 2022.
Xavi delivers verdict on Champions League elimination
Barca suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of Bayern Munich to crash out of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Speaking to the press after the game, Xavi admitted that his team was simply not at Bayern's level. He also revealed that the elimination has affected them psychologically. He said (via Mundo Deportivo):
“The team was affected by the elimination. But it’s not an excuse, we just didn’t compete. It is a tough blow, but we have to keep believing in this team. There are still titles to play for.
“We weren’t at [Bayern’s] level tonight, they were better. Simple as that. The elimation affected us psychologically. Now we have to keep going and think about the league.
“We had a lot of expectations. We knew the group was complicated, but a lot of things happened to us and tonight we didn’t compete. We weren’t at their level. We were better in Munich and this time they were better than us. We have to react."
Barcelona president backs Xavi after early Champions League exit
Joan Laporta has refused to place the blame on Xavi following Barca's early exit from the Champions League. The Barcelona president insists that it is neither the manager nor the players' fault and that they are focused on building the future with the young unit.
Speaking to Barca TV following the loss (via The Metro), Laporta said:
"It’s a shame, but you can’t blame the players or the coach for anything.
"This is a young project in which from the beginning we knew we were going to have ups and downs. The league remains and we have to show that we continue.
‘La Liga is very important and we have it close. The message is to look forward. This has already happened."
Barca may be forced to sell six stars in January
Barca are set to take a financial hit after being eliminated from the Champions League. The Catalans signed a raft of world-class player in the summer by mortgaging a good portion of their future finances.
But without the revenue from the Champions League knockout stages, they will need to furnish funds from elsewhere.
That's why the January transfer window has now become key for Barcelona. They could be forced to sell six players in January, according to The Express. As per the report, Frenkie de Jong, Ousmane Dembele, Memphis Depay, Franck Kessie, Ferran Torres and Jordi Alba are the players Barca may be forced to sell.
