Bitter evening for FC Barcelona!
At Barça there is a hangover mood. At least for most of them. Because: A star was apparently still in a good mood after the bitter end in the Champions League. Clément Lenglet joked with Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski shortly after the final whistle in the Allianz Arena in Munich. Both lay in each other’s arms, talked and even laughed hilariously. Lenglet was in high spirits while his Barça colleagues sneaked off with their bowed heads.
The action was not well received by the rest of the team and the Spanish press. According to “Marca”, some Barça stars are said to have been scandalized by Lenglet’s behavior. “Marca” recalled that the French had “been under criticism for 18 months”. The Spanish sports presenter Josep Pedrerol went one step further. “I never want to see him in the Barcelona shirt again,” as he fulminated against the Barça central defender.
The images infuriated also the Spanish pundit Jota Jordi, who said the Frenchman had “no shame”. and added further:
“By the way, Lenglet, if you see this, don’t be ashamed.”
“You’re not ashamed. Because you wear a badge that represents millions of people. Today we cried. Today we couldn’t sleep. Today we did not eat. And tomorrow we will still be very pissed off.
“And you laughed for a minute after the game was over. So you are not ashamed.
“If it were up to me, Lenglet wouldn’t come back on the same plane. He would come back on foot. And when he arrives in Barcelona, he has to go to the club office to cancel his contract.”
Barcelona will play in the Europa League for the first time in 17 years after their group-phase exit from the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The Catalans needed a miracle in their final group game to progress to the knockouts, but barely fired a shot in anger against Bayern Munich and were dumped out of the continent’s elite club tournament after their second 3-0 loss to the Bavarians in this year’s competition alone.
The last time Barcelona lined up at Europa League level was in 2004, when they were coached by Frank Rijkaard.