Barcelona was ousted from the Copa Del Ray on Wednesday, falling 4-2 against Athletics Club.
It was another disappointment for Barcelona, as the club was expecting to go to the Copa del Rey semifinals for the second straight season.
The Catalan club squandered another chance to win a title earlier this year, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final held in Saudi Arabia.
Club Athletics earlier eliminated Barcelona from the 2022 Copa del Rey round of 16.
Barcelona took the lead in the 26th minute thanks to Robert Lewandowski, and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal’s spectacular strike shortly before halftime added to the team’s momentum.
Yamal became Barcelona’s youngest goal scorer in the competition with this goal. However, Bilbao made changes in the second half, levelling the game to force extra time and eventually scoring three goals in a row to further devastate Barcelona.
With the Copa del Rey defeat, the Catalans have already lost the Spanish Super Cup and are falling further behind in La Liga. Xavi Hernandez, the coach, is more concerned about the team’s poor performance this season. After winning La Liga last season, Hernandez has yet to see his boyhood team perform well, trailing Girona by 8 points after 20 league games.
For many fans, prominent teams leaving the Copa del Ray is nothing new, as Real Madrid was also eliminated from the competition.
For many fans, major teams quitting the Copa del Ray is not unusual, as Real Madrid was also eliminated from the competition.
Barcelona’s previous success has put pressure not only on the team but also on Xavi Hernandez, a former player and coach at the club. According to some reports, Hernandez’s ‘exit gate’ is about to open, allowing him to leave the club, although he is expected to remain safe for the time being.
In this bleak season, one bright spot for Barcelona fans is that they are still in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona will face Napoli on February 21, a match that could decide Xavi Hernandez’s destiny.