Beautifully tragic Barca are their own undoing against Inter

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Hansi Flick and his brave young warriors live and die by the sword

Thierry Henry summed it up well in his post-game analysis.

“It’s hard to win a Champions League when you concede as many goals as Barcelona has. Eventually you pay the price for leaving yourself so exposed.”

That’s why Inter are going to their second final in three years under Simone Inzaghi, and why Barcelona are on the outside looking in.

In these semifinal games, the world won and the world lost. The entertainment was unprecedented, chock-full of unexpected comebacks, and plot twists. But the good guys lost. Aside from Inter and Real Madrid supporters, you have to believe that fans of the beautiful game were cheering for Barcelona to make it to the final. For their stubborn insistence on playing bravely and expressively with the ball.

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Football needs Barcelona, especially the version that we’ve seen under Hansi Flick.

Ultimately, they should take responsibility for why they lost. Going down 0-2 in both legs is bad. Not being able to see out a one-goal lead in the final five minutes of a decisive game is heart-breaking. Alarming when you consider that they weren’t able to find a team shape defensively in order to make an organized effort.

But they were also able to produce countless moments of magic that no other team in the world is capable of.

Barcelona are naïve. They are reckless. At the San Siro, they were their own worst enemy.

But they were also unlucky. And if fortune were on their side, we would be telling a different story.

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We don’t want to get in the habit of blaming the referee, but that crew was having a rough evening. In the end, the lack of consistency gave Inter an advantage.

Beyond the refereeing on the day, there also needs to be something said about revisiting the rule book, and the way that referees are taught to call the games in general.

Barcelona is penalized for their high line because of the ridiculous offside guidance that says don’t raise the flag unless it’s obvious. Time and time again, we are seeing the Barcelona defenders waste energy running back, and risking injury, because the sideline official is using this as an excuse to not do their job and make the call. They need to learn how to officiate the offside trap in a way that doesn’t penalize teams for being courageous and aggressive.

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There was more bad luck with mountains of beautiful plays by Barcelona falling agonizingly short in front of goal.

The season’s most gorgeous counter attack led by Barcelona’s fullbacks, the most scrutinized players on the field. Lamine Yamal’s magic was on full display throughout, but without the end product.

A penalty given to Inter, and taken away by inches for Barcelona.

There is a lot to analyze and digest from this game. And there is time, as it will find a place in the history books where it will be revisited for decades to come.

But it brings us back to the eternal conundrum of FC Barcelona.

A team who could win so many more trophies, especially in the Champions League, if they would just allow themselves to be more pragmatic.

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And yet, that’s not the Barca way. Poetry and romance will always win the day in Barcelona, a city of imagination.

That’s why, at least for me, it’s hard to be upset today.

This was not a European meltdown, the likes of Roma, Liverpool, or Bayern Munich in the past.

This Barcelona team should be commended for their integrity. For playing the game their way, at the highest level, in a way the world has never seen before, like kids full of wonder for the endless possibilities that can be produced on the pitch.

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They are a team of young over achievers who have exceeded everyone’s expectations. They have no right being as good as they have been. They may not win the Champions League this year, but they are winners.

If this game were about nothing more than winning silverware, then yes, they took too many risks when it mattered most.

Today, however, I think I have a new appreciation for what it means to be a culer.

Barcelona is not about what you see in the trophy case. It never has been. From Johan Cruyff to Pep Guardiola to Hansi Flick, Barcelona football is a feeling.

It’s a reminder of what can happen in a football match when you let go of your fear of losing.

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Football is boring and meaningless when it becomes mechanical. No hate against Inter, they were an amazing fine-tuned machine, and they deserve their place in the final.

But football is at its best when it transcends tactics and becomes an artform. The future of the game depends on teams like Barcelona showing that you should always strive to play and win beautifully.

And that sometimes, in pursuit of this noble goal, you can lose beautifully too.

For Barcelona, that was a Champions League campaign to be proud of. Hopefully next season, they learn from the experience, and make it all the way. The world will be waiting eagerly for the show.

Source: barcablaugranes.com