Xavi, Laporta in agreement that Barcelona are still under construction and need time – report

Barcelona’s recent 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at Camp Nou confirmed their elimination from the UEFA Champions League group stage for a second season running.

However, the loss conveyed a deeper message – a fact that the club are not still ready to compete with the top dogs of Europe. This feeling was shared even by the club management including president Joan Laporta and head coach Xavi, in a recent meeting.

This has been reported by Javi Miguel of AS, who suggests that the two had a meeting shortly after Barça’s defeat yesterday. The two met in Laporta’s office, where various topics were decided.

However, at the end of the meeting, it was admitted that the team is, in fact, under construction and that were various issues that played a key role in stifling the club’s performances in the Champions League.

Injuries, in particular, were a thorn for Barcelona, with the Blaugrana missing the likes of Ronald Araujo, Hector Bellerin and Andreas Christensen in crucial matches through injuries. Their absence made Barça overly reliant on the services of players that are not considered first-choice options.

Another key reason was the refereeing mess that happened in a couple of matches, including the game against Inter Milan, where the referee did not award Barcelona a late penalty and chalked off a legitimate goal.

Even in the game against Bayern at Allianz Arena, there were decisions that could have gone Barça’s way. But in the end, fortune did not favour the Catalans, who will once again have to compete in the Europa League.

Xavi, though, remains well-backed by the board members, including Laporta. However, as the club continue to underperform in the Champions League, it is imperative that they do well in the Europa League during the second half of the campaign.

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