Laporta Calls For Barcelona Unity After Champions League Elimination
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has called for the club to be united after they were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Barcelona suffered a fourth straight defeat against the Bavarians after goals from Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala gave Julian Nagelsmann’s men a 3-0 victory.
The Camp Nou outfit thus drop down to the Europa League, failing to qualify from their Champions League group for the first time since the 2000/2001 season.
"We are sad about this result, but we have to move on. It is time to work hard and try to reverse this situation," Laporta told TV3.
"We have not been able to go down to the locker room to lift the players. We will speak with the coaching staff on the plane.
"We did what we could and now we have to try to overcome this situation.
"I make a call to all the Barcelona fans, today more than ever we have to row all together in the same direction to try to overcome this situation altogether."
Barca boss Xavi added in a news conference: "This must be a turning point. I have told the players, today a new stage has to begin for Barca, revealing ourselves to this situation.
"We cannot accept this situation because Barcelona does not deserve to be where we are today. I tell the Barcelona fans that we will work hard because I feel this club, I love this club and we will work hard. We will leave our skin to [help] Barca recover and put them where they deserve, and that is not in the Europa League.
"But we have to face it, it is a hard reality but it is what there is. It is the reality and we have to face it and rebel and this has to serve as a turning point to improve."
