“The downfall started when Neymar left”: Journalist verdict on Barça’s situation

A lot has been made of Barcelona’s colossal downfall over the last five years. The team that dominated Europe and won the Champions League as recently as 2015 now struggle to even compete at the highest level.

The dip in form continues to reach lower lows, with the mouse recent being their group-stage elimination from the UCL.

Top-tier Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez voiced his opinion (h/t Onda Cero) which resonated with a number of supporters across the globe.

“The start of Barça’s downfall was when Neymar left,” said Martinez, suggesting that the position of the club now was a cumulative effect of a gradual process following the Brazilian’s departure.

The Brazilian’s shocking move to PSG in the summer of 2017 saw the French club shell out his release clause in excess of €200 million. Though Barcelona received the giant cheque, it was their inability to use it wisely that led to their fall.

For several years, the club ran behind young prospects hoping for them to fill the void in the side. Ousmane Dembélé was the first such gamble when the Spanish side paid €105 million for his arrival.

A worse transfer decision was taken by the club later, which was to sign Phillipe Coutinho from Liverpool for a record fee of €135 million. The two moves were enough to blow all the money received from Neymar’s transfers for no end product.

Moreover, the subsequent signing of Antoine Griezmann and the club’s desperate attempts to keep players with high wages destroyed the financial situation.

Ultimately, it was the same factor that led to Lionel Messi’s departure from the team and their inability to sign any remote replacement.

In fact, La Liga president Florentino Perez earlier claimed that the Argentine could have stayed at the club if the former administration did not make new signings.

With Xavi now having taken over the management, the Catalan club hopes to return to elite football soon.

Reportedly, the 41-year-old coach has already promised president Joan Laporta that he will take the club back to its glorious days within a year.

We will have to wait and see whether the situation will change for Barcelona, but one thing is clear so far: there is a long way to go.