Sergio Busquets talks UCL exit, Europa League after Bayern loss

Barcelona were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, as they suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The Catalans needed a win to qualify from Group E or required SL Benfica to drop points from the other group game against Dynamo Kyiv. However, neither scenario materialised as Xavi Hernandez & co. were put to the sword by a dominant Bayern Munich side while Benfica cruised to a comfortable win over the Ukrainian giants to finish second in the group.

It means Barcelona ended as the third-placed team in the standings and will now drop down to the UEFA Europa League. The Blaugrana will be participating in the secondary European competition for the first time since 2004, entering at the Round of 32 stage.

The elimination from the Champions League right after the group stage – the first time that has happened in over two decades – will come as a major disappointment to the club’s supporters, something that captain Sergio Busquets acknowledged during his post-match interview.

The veteran midfielder admitted that the situation was difficult to digest but insisted that each team, however big, have to go through such a cycle before re-emerging at the top.

“This is not what the fans deserve. But it’s the reality. We are in a difficult and painful situation. There are many factors that led to this. Many teams have gone through the same. Barcelona is a big club. Now that we have a new management and technical staff, we have a morale boost, and we will be back,” Busquets said.

The Barca skipper also added that the team would focus on going all the way in the Europa League while expressing the belief that there is enough quality in the squad to win the tournament. “We have the necessary team to win the Europa League title,” he stated.

Source: Barca TV+