Barcelona are having their worst campaign in 18 years. They currently have 23 points from 15 games in the league, at the end of 16 gameweeks. Their postponed match against Sevilla is expected to be played before Christmas.
The last time Barcelona had such an underwhelming start to the season was in the 2002/03 season. Louis Van Gaal was in charge of the club at the time, and they had 22 points after 16 gameweeks. He was sacked shortly after, and Radomir Antic was brought in. Under Antic, Barcelona finished sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup, now known as the Europa League.
The next season was not much better, with Frank Rijkaard’s lineup earning 23 points at the end of 16 gameweeks. However, they finished second in the table that year.
The Blaugrana suffered their first defeat under Xavi last night, as Real Betis managed to defeat them 1-0 at home. The only goal of the game was scored by Juanmi in the 80th minute to steal all three points.
Many have predicted Xavi to be the next big thing in football management. The former Al Sadd boss has a big task on his hands, and will have to be given time to turn things around at Barcelona. Real Betis are currently third in the table, with 30 points from 16 games.
However, there is still hope that Barcelona will be able to get into the top four at the end of the season, even if they drop down to the Europa League at the end of the Champions League group stages.
