Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time winner ended any hopes Barcelona had of defending their La Liga title – just as defeat to Paris Saint-Germain ended their Champions League quest five days earlier.
And nothing summed up the club’s disastrous week better than Joao Cancelo’s horror performances in these two key matches.
On Tuesday against PSG, Cancelo awarded a penalty and failed to defend Ousmane Dembélé throughout the match. On Sunday, he made two big errors which led to two of Real Madrid’s goals in their 3-2 Clasico win over Xavi’s side.
His poor marking allowed Lucas Vazquez to pass him too easily in the box in the first half. This left central defender Pau Cubarsi exposed and the 17-year-old fouled the penalty which Vinicius Junior scored for 1-1.
Later, Cancelo’s disconnection from the game was even more glaring: he seemed to forget all the basics of defense by stopping backing up, leaving Vazquez completely free to send a cross into the net at the far post for Madrid’s second equalizer of the evening. .
It all adds up to another calamitous performance. The defeat in Madrid was tough for Barcelona, who arguably didn’t deserve to lose and had a right to be angry about the lack of goal-line technology in La Liga.
Lamine Yamal was denied what looked like a goal before half-time (when it was 1-1), with VAR apparently only able to make a decision based on two camera angles which did not provide of conclusive evidence as to whether his skillful shot had beaten. Andrei Lunin.
“Goal-line technology is not a financial issue, it’s a usage issue,” La Liga president Javier Tebas said earlier in the campaign. “In a season there are only four or five such incidents.”
After the match, Xavi had a rather different view. “It’s a shame that there is not the right technology in our league and we claim to be the best league in the world,” he said.
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“The day before the match, you asked me questions about the referee. I responded that I wanted them to do things properly and not be too much of a protagonist in the game. Well, nothing like that happened.
No matter what Xavi says, the fact is that, as of late April, Barcelona have no chance of winning a trophy this season. They must take most of the responsibility themselves.
Club officials – who, like all sources cited here, preferred to speak anonymously to protect their position – said Athleticism In the past, Barcelona wanted to be careful when appointing a new manager because they couldn’t afford to spend on someone who couldn’t make things right.
It’s a debate that, after the Clasico, must also be reflected in their team planning.
In recent months, figures such as president Joan Laporta have stated that the club is interested in signing Cancelo and Joao Felix next season.
“I think they’re both going to stay,” he said last month. “Their agent Jorge Mendes is already aware of our intentions to keep them. It will depend on the amount requested, but we may also grant their loans.
The relationship between Laporta and Mendes is seen as an important factor in Barcelona’s willingness to negotiate for Cancelo. The winger’s collapse at crucial stages of the season, however, does not support the view that spending money to sign the 29-year-old this summer will be smart business for Barcelona.
Cancelo has made 36 appearances in all competitions and has become a regular starter given Alejandro Balde’s long-term injury, but his performances have been below expectations.
What happened in the Clasico is only the confirmation of what he showed in the Champions League. After going down to 10 against PSG, Barcelona needed an extra level of awareness and resilience. Instead, his two sloppy errors resulted in him conceding two goals, and in one of them he failed to defend the far post in the same way he did for Madrid’s second goal courtesy of Vazquez yesterday evening.
Barcelona being ruthless in their planning for signings this summer is important. But the most important thing will still be to decide who the next manager will be. In this regard, the critical moment is approaching.
There is still uncertainty around Xavi’s position; He announced he would step down at the end of the season, but in recent weeks Laporta and others have said they will try to convince him to stay.
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Xavi pleaded for his team to focus on football as two competitions were at stake. But now that the Champions League and La Liga are gone, the choices can no longer be postponed.
Club sources said Athleticism that Laporta is still ready to try to convince Xavi to reconsider his decision to resign.
Sources close to the manager’s camp say no meetings are planned to discuss his future, but it is understood he and Laporta will discuss the subject “as soon as possible”.
Last night, Xavi refused to answer any questions about whether he had taken charge of the final Clasico of his tenure, or whether he saw the match marking the end of his cycle. Some well-placed sources at Barcelona believe Xavi is having second thoughts about the decision.
“My future? It’s not the right time to talk about it,” Xavi said at the Bernabeu.
“Now is the time to assimilate this defeat, which will be difficult. Then we will think about the next match. We aim to finish in second place.
If Laporta does not find a positive response from Xavi soon, the club will turn to its second option: Rafael Marquez.
The current boss of Atletic Barcelona (the club’s reserve team) has moved up the succession list partly because Barca failed to find an ideal alternative candidate, but he also represents an option financially feasible.
Club sources say they are happy with Márquez’s performances with the second team, who are fighting for promotion to the Spanish second division. Marquez’s path, learning the ropes from the bottom of the club, and the knowledge he thus has of all the talents at La Masia, are also seen as assets in the 45-year-old’s favor.
In the short term, the remaining La Liga season (six games) will be difficult and long for Barca fans. For some, the only motivation left will be to pray that Real Madrid do not win the Champions League.
But in the highest functions of the club, things are different. This latest Clasico defeat will force everyone in Barcelona to define who should be the face of the next sporting project.
Now is the time to make big decisions for the future.
(Top photo: Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)