Barça, still battered three months after Lisbon

This Saturday marked three months of one of the blackest pages in the history of Barça, which in Da Luz suffered one of its most humiliating and apocalyptic defeats ever. The 2-8 fitted against the ruthless Bayern opened a crisis with many edges that, to this day, is not closed. The entity is in change, but battered.

Abidal resigns. On August 18, Eric Abidal, technical secretary up to that time, resigned. Publicly pointed out by Messi for presenting the players as responsible for the dismissal of Ernesto Valverde, he was left in a position of weakness and took a step to the side. Perhaps he sensed the burofax that was coming upon him. Ramon Planes, until then attached to the French, remained in charge.

Koeman arrives. At 57, the Wembley hero is announced as a new coach and leaves an enigmatic phrase: “I don't know if I have to convince Messi or not; it has to accompany the evolution of the team ”.

The burofax. On August 25, Messi sends a burofax to Barça in which he confirms his intention to leave, taking advantage of a clause that frees him from the last year of his contract. Barcelona is shocked. Despite the pandemic situation, there are even fans who come to the gates of the Camp Nou to protest. Bartomeu is not taken for granted and makes it clear that the Argentine will not leave and that he will not negotiate the exit.

Vote of no confidence. On August 31, Jordi Farré appears at the Barcelonista Service Office to collect the ballots that activate the process of the Vote of Censorship against Bartomeu. Two candidates, Lluís Fernández Alá and Víctor Font, join the initiative. Also eight opinion groups. The Més que una Moció platform starts, which would achieve no less than the historical figure of 20,687 signatures.

“I stay”. On September 4, Messi gives an interview to Goal in which he confirms that he will continue at Barça and shakes Bartomeu with a cascade of criticism of the president's management.

Setien. On September 17, it transpires that Quique Setién has also sent a burofax to Barça for not communicating his official dismissal. He claims 4 million euros. On November 1, the Cantabrian coach gave an interview to El País in which he threw the stone and hid his hand against Messi: “It is not easy to manage, you see things you do not expect.”

Luis Suarez. On September 24, Luis Suárez, the third top scorer in the club's history in just six years at Barça, said goodbye with a telematic press conference. He does it elegantly and with his friends on the spot. The next day, just a month after the burofax, Messi, whom the club had confirmed as captain at the express wish of Koeman on September 12, once again shakes the club's foundations. “You didn't deserve to be fired like they did.”

Green shoots. Barça starts the course well, with victories against Villarreal and Celta; and, above all, with the explosion of two young people. Ansu (who later tore the meniscus in his left knee on Nov. 7) scores in the first two games. Canarian Pedri scores his first official Champions League goal against Ferencvaros on October 20.

The classic. On October 24, Barça lost 1-3 in the Clásico with a refereeing mess over a VAR penalty from Lenglet to Ramos. Pre-candidates such as Font, Laporta, Farré or Vilajoana criticize the lack of strength of the club in LaLiga and the FEF.

Bartomeu, KO. On October 27, a day after claiming that he had never thought about resigning, Bartomeu surrendered. Exhausted, he left with his entire Board. Three months after Lisbon, Barça is governed by a manager, in the pre-electoral period, immersed in a salary reduction negotiation with players and employees; and he does not know if Messi will continue. Lisbon's wounds will last for years.