‘We expected it’ – Barcelona president Joan Laporta ask for patience after 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich
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Published 15/09/2021 at 13:49 GMT
Barcelona’s Champions League campaign began with a 3-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich. Barca have now lost their last three European matches at the Nou Camp 10-1 on aggregate, while they failed to register a single shot on target against the German side. “I am as disappointed and upset as all of you are,” Joan Laporta said.
Players of FC Barcelona leave the pitch after the UEFA Champions League group E match between FC Barcelona and Bayern München at Camp Nou
Image credit: Getty Images
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has called for “patience” from the club’s supporters after their humbling Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.
Bayern ran out 3-0 winners at the Nou Camp on the opening night of the new Champions League campaign, just over a year after the German side beat Barca 8-2 in Europe.
Barca were playing their first European match since Lionel Messi’s departure, and looked comfortably second-best as Thomas Muller and a Robert Lewandowski double sealed victory for Bayern.
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The result piles the pressure on head coach Ronald Koeman, who switched to a 3-5-2 formation for the match, though Laporta has said this situation was “expected”.
“Hello Culers, I am as disappointed and upset as all of you are,” Laporta said in a video on his own Twitter account, which was then retweeted by Barcelona.
I need to tell you what is happening is one of the situations that we expected. I ask you for your patience, and that you continue supporting our team.
“I also ask for your trust in us, the people who are managing the club. We need your trust and time, and do not doubt that we will solve this situation.”
Barca have now lost their last three European matches at the Nou Camp 10-1 on aggregate, while they failed to record a shot on target against Bayern – a first since Opta records began in the Champions League.
Reports in Spain claim Laporta spoke with directors Mateu Alemany and Rafa Yuste until 2am at the Nou Camp after the defeat to Bayern.
Marca described Barcelona’s performance as “poor”, while Sport called it "the sad reality", but Gerard Pique is adamant the team will recover despite acknowledging they are in a difficult period.
“Playing at home, it is a bad result, we are not going to fool ourselves,” Pique said, per Daily Mail.
But if you look at the game, I think that in the first half we have competed, they have gone ahead with a deflected goal.
“In the end I don't know how many 18-year-olds we had on and the team has competed and has shown their face.
“Now we are who we are, we are what we are, but I am convinced that as we recover players, we will end up competing.”
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