After losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich for the second time this season, Barcelona dropped down to the Europa League. Here are the last five times the Blaugrana competed in the Europa League and how it turned out for them.
1986-87
Barcelona lost the European Cup final to Steaua Bucharest in their own stadium the previous year. Their following campaign in the UEFA Cup wasn’t good enough either, as they bowed out against Jim McLean’s Dundee United in the quarter-finals.
1987-88
1987/88 saw the Spaniards knocked out by eventual winners Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 at Camp Nou. The German side would go on to win the competition by defeating their rivals Espanyol in the finals.
1995-96
Barcelona’s fourth placed finish saw them qualify for the UEFA Cup since only league winners qualified for the European Cup at the time. They faced Sevilla, PSV and were beaten by Bayern Munich in the semifinal, who went on to win the Cup that year.
2000-01
Leeds United and AC Milan went on to compete in the knockout stages as Barcelona dropped down to the Europa League. They defeated Club Brugge, AEK Athens and Celta Vigo to reach the semifinals before losing to Liverpool.
2003-04 – Barcelona’s last UEFA Cup
The last time the Blaugrana found themselves in the Europa League was in 2003/04. They finished sixth in the final stages of the league in the previous season. The likes of Matador Puchov, Panionios and Brondby were dispatched before Barcelona were eliminated by Celtic. The Scottish side stole the win by a single goal over two ties that are still celebrated by fans of the club.
