Barcelona's 2023/24 campaign seems like an epic fail. But is this really the case? By most metrics, yes.
Barca are a massive club – one of the biggest in the world – nothing short of trophies and seductive football is expected every season.
Xavi's team didn't hit those high standards this year, but that's football — you can't always win.
Here are some positives Barca can take from this season.
1. Barca have qualified for next season's Champions League. This may seem trivial but qualification for the Champions League brings in more than €50m in revenue. No matter how bad this season looks, it would've been a complete disaster if Barca didn't qualify for Europe's biggest club competition.
2. Barca are among the eight best clubs in Europe. For the first time in four years, Barcelona qualified for the Champions League quarter-final. The defeat to PSG in the quarter-final second leg was down to fine margins, like Araujo's red card in the first half. Barca didn't do badly in Europe considering they were expected to reach the semi-final by many.
3. The emergence of Lamine Cubarsi and Fermin. Barcelona unearthed some fresh gems from La Masia in Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal. The trio were beyond impressive this season and could become legendary players at the club in the future.
Complaints aside, what positives would you take from the season?
