5 problems that threatened Barcelona this season
It is true that losing basically means learning. Barcelona might have won two important trophies this season, but the story behind their success is not as rosy as the results suggest.
From pre-season to the closing stages of the campaign, the Catalans have battled through many challenges. The loss of Neymar, the board crisis and a slow start to the season are just a few of the issues that threatened the club's success this season.
Still, the Blaugrana responded well to the challenges, as they fought their way to both the La Liga and the Copa Del Rey trophies. With that being said, let's explore the problems that threatened Barcelona's fantastic season.
#5 Departure of Neymar
In one of Barca's worst nightmares in recent years, the Catalan giants lost their valued asset Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in a highly complicated deal. The Brazilian departed the Camp Nou in the summer after the French side decided to pay the release clause in his contract worth €222 million.
This was a very big problem for the club, as they did not expect the player to leave after just recently renewing his contract. Moreover, the superstar departed the club when he was needed the most. He was the brightest young player in the squad and he also helped to reduce the workload on the aging Lionel Messi. His departure also brought an end to Barcelona's popular 'MSN' trident, angering the Camp Nou fans.
Also read: 5 reasons why Barcelona should re-sign Neymar
Neymar's transfer put Barcelona in a desperate position to sign a replacement. Therefore, they highlighted Borussia Dortmund's starlet Ousmane Dembele and Liverpool's playmaker Philippe Coutinho. While they got their hands on the former, they could only recruit the latter in January.