Barcelona making a deep run in Europe is a strong possibility but going all the way through seems far-fetched, says Ronald Koeman.
Barcelona’s domestic season was an utter disappointment in 2019/20 as they lost the La Liga title to bitter rivals Real Madrid and faced an early exit in Copa del Rey.
Insult to the Catalan side’s injuries was then added in the Champions League as Bayern Munich kicked them out of the competition after a through 8-2 beating.
A huge turmoil was induced at Camp Nou in the aftermath of a trophyless season, the highlight of which was Lionel Messi wanting out of the club.
Ronald Koeman feels the side effects of what was a period of total pandemonium is still prevalent, suggesting that Barca are still not fully ready to battle for Europe’s most prestigious club trophy.
“At Barcelona, you have to play to win titles. Domestically and in Europe,” Koeman said at his press conference on Monday, via Marca.
“But there are strong teams and you have to prove your credentials. After what has happened [at the club] we’re not the favorites, but we can go far.”
Barcelona will host Ferencvaros in the opening matchday of the Champions League group stage on Tuesday. The upcoming opponents are seen as one of the weaker sides in the group as well as in the entire competition, but Koeman apparently doesn’t share the same viewpoint.
“We expect [to face] a complicated team,” the Dutchman added. “There are no easy games now. We analyze all of our opponents and we respect them all. We have to stop their quality. “
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