FC Barcelona's historic rout on Friday night against Bayern Munich (2-8) is causing an unprecedented earthquake in Barcelona. Several heads will fall from Monday, when the much contested President Josep Maria Bartomeu decided to call an emergency meeting, during which many decisions would have to be made. "Some are even already," said Bartomeu.
Unsurprisingly, the first fuse will be coach Quique Setién. Arrived in January by promising that with him "Barça would play very well", Setién has never shown that he had the stature to win at a club like Barcelona. Defeated in La Liga by lifelong rival, Zidane's Real Madrid, and ridiculed in the Champions League, Setién will leave as quickly as he came.
The Umtiti and Dembélé cases
The next on the list of sacrificed will undoubtedly be Eric Abidal. The French sports director, living legend of the club when he was a player, never made the transition when he became manager. The supporters reproach him with his lack of vision, his expensive purchasing policy over the past two years, as well as his mismanagement of the cases of Dembélé and Umtiti, his two compatriots who are highly paid and still injured, and on whom the influence of Abidal had no hold.
If we add his spat with Xavi and Lionel Messi through the media, his case is overflowing today. So he too should get out of the door very quickly. As for the workforce, it is very complicated to change it given the size of its payroll. Who today wants an Umtiti, a Dembélé, even a Griezmann with astronomical salaries?
On the other hand, Lionel Messi should stay at the club. The Argentinian, under contract until 2021, has a clause to leave free, a clause he could activate until May. But the real question today is to know the identity of the coach who will come to direct him on the bench to try to revive the institution. Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino? The Argentinian Marcelo Gallardo, desired by Messi? Or Xavi? Many unknowns still remain for Barça, who will first experience a big summer cleaning. From top to bottom.
