End of an era! What awaits Lionel Messi's Barcelona as Lisbon humiliation makes downfall complete
AFP
Messi, at 33, knows his end is near but he will choose when it comes. Others may not be so lucky, with Pique and Luis Suarez also 33 and Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba 31. All of them have played a part in Barca's golden era but that era feels a long time ago now and if this team is to regenerate, brave decisions will have to be made. (Photo | AP)Since 2014, his board have stumbled from blunder to blunder, all the while alienating the dressing room and driving this period of chaos and decline.It began with Neymar leaving and never being replaced, the frantic attempts to bring him back then failing because the funds had been squandered elsewhere. (Photo | AP)'The club needs changes,' said Gerard Pique. 'Nobody is untouchable, least of all me. Fresh blood is needed to change this. We've hit rock bottom.' (Photo | AP)Frenkie de Jong, Ansu Fati and Riqui Puig are the future, smothered this season by the failures of those ahead of them and perhaps ready to be trusted to lead. (Photo | AFP)Who will lead the Barca revolution remains to be seen, with Xavi Hernandez, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman all sufficiently put off that they rejected the chance in January. Will they be any keener now? Barcelona will not have the money to make big additions, meaning they may have to look within. (Photo | AP)
