Barça is will play his continuity in the Champions on the last day of the group stage. After failing to draw against Benfica, he will have to beat Munich if he does not want to be aware of what the Portuguese team will do at home against Dinamo Kiev. The Barça club has been around for 20 years does not fall in the first round of the top European competition. Beyond the sporting setback, staying out would mean another economic stick for the club’s mischievous coffers.
Barça had budgeted 20.2 million in prizes to reach at least the quarter-finals of the competition: UEFA pays 9.6 million to reach the round of 16 and 10.6 million to advance to the next round.
If he doesn’t succeed, Xavi’s set would go on to play in the Europa League, where the rewards are much lower: 1.2 for those who play the round of 16, 1.8 for the quarterfinals, 2.8 to reach the semifinals, 4.6 to get to the final and 4 to win it. In other words that is, at best it could earn 14.4 million to mitigate the impact of being out of the top European competition.
The year of Serra Ferrer
The last time Barça fell in the Champions League and played in the Europa League (then called UEFA) was in the 2000-2001 season. Under the mandate of Joan Gaspar and after the departure of Luis Figo, the team led by Llorenç Serra Ferrer did not pass the group stage of the Champions, after losing at home to Milan (0-2), drawing at the San Siro (3-3), not passing the tables in the field of Leeds (1-1) and suffering a rollover at the stadium of Besiktas (3-0). The Balearic coach would be sacked after suffering his second European elimination of the season against Liverpool: McAllister, by converting a penalty at Anfield at the hands of Kluivert, decided the Europa League semi-final.
The 2003-04 season was the last time Barça played their second European competition. In that case it was a start, not being classified in the League in Champions places. On that occasion, Barça, coached by Frank Rijkaard, fell eliminated in the round of 16 against Celtic Glasgow.
.
