In the days of Barcelona Pep Guardiola, the former Mexican technician Miguel Mejia Baron I used to write that he liked to watch the games of the culé team, because he won or lost, he always gave a good example.
For the game against Paris Saint-Germain, far from the most loyal fans of the Catalans who dream of a historic comeback, what should be expected from Barcelona is that it puts an end to the ridiculous line every time they are eliminated from the Champions League.
The least that can be asked of a club the size of Barça is to compete, to get their hands on it, to be present at the game. He is 4-1 behind and, according to what was seen in the first round, he does not have enough arguments to defeat an opponent who today is clearly superior practically from all points of view.
Koeman can – and must – say that “there are no impossibilities”, and Joan Laporta proclaims that, if they have already watched PSG once, the feat is at hand. They play their part and will not be defeated in Paris.
The truth is that none of them will cling to Leo Messi and will not expect him to offer one of his traditional epic shows.
The return (from 0-2) to Sevilla in the Copa del Rey semifinal, the return to La Liga (in which they are two to three points behind Atlético) or appeals to the 6-1 memory of four years ago against the same rival, no are football arguments to believe in a new feat.
Barcelona pulls four years of shameful eliminations in the maximum competition at club level: Juventus, Roma, Liverpool and Bayern Munich … And as if that wasn’t enough, in the first leg against PSG at Camp Nou ate of 1-4 and was displayed from head to toe.
For 13 years, Barça did not make it to the round of 16 of the Champions League and everything indicates that this statistic will be violated. However, even if it is removed, this time the forms must change.
The team led by Ronald Koeman is forced to compete, not to make history, to be respected even in defeat, to set a good example, as Miguel Mejía Barón said.
No more ridiculous than the one in Rome, not another “tragedy” like the one in Anfield and not to mention the disaster and 8-2 in Lisbon … No more, Barcelona. Compete, put your hands in it and say goodbye with dignity.