“Perhaps we were bored of winning” - Rakitic claims Barcelona 'didn’t try enough’ during forgetful Champions League knockouts in 2018 and 2019
Former Barcelona star Ivan Rakitic has said that the club did not "try enough" to win the UEFA Champions League in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons as they were "bored of winning." Rakitic was a part of the team in both seasons.
Speaking on the ARLS podcast about his time at Barca, the Croatian felt that Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League in 2018 and 2019 because of themselves.
"We lost the Champions League in 2018 and 2019 by ourselves. The opponents deserved it of course, but it felt like we didn’t try enough. Perhaps we were bored of winning. When you win so much, you lose focus, you don’t pay attention to the details." Rakitic said.
Speaking about why the Blaugrana have not won the UCL since 2015, Rakitic also spoke of the "additional pressure" as their rivals, Real Madrid, have won it "a lot."
“Yes. And there’s additional pressure because Real Madrid has won it a lot.” Rakitic said.
In the 2017-18 season, the Catalan club was knocked out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals. Despite a 4-4 aggregate, opponents AS Roma won on away goals.
In the subsequent season, they lost to Liverpool on a 4-3 aggregate after a 4-0 defeat at Anfield Stadium in the second leg of the semifinals. It is widely considered one of the most devastating losses in the history of the Blaugrana.
As a Barca player, Ivan Rakitic scored 35 goals and provided 42 assists in 310 appearances across all competitions. He played for the club between 2014 and 2020, when he left to join Sevilla, before moving on to the Saudi club Al-Shabab.
Ivan Rakitic recalls Barcelona's triumph in the Champions League in the 2014-15 season
Barcelona last won the Champions League in the 2014-15 season. Under the leadership of coach Luis Enrique, the club went on to win their second treble in history, after winning the UCL, La Liga and the Copa Del Rey.
The season is also known for the triumph of the iconic attacking trio comprising Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr and Luis Suarez, collectively known as the "MSN" trio to football fans.
Speaking of the 2014-15 season, Ivan Rakitic believed it was the "best season" in the history of the Champions League, where the club defeated Juventus 3-1 in the final.
“I think we had the best season in Champions League history. We beat the French, English, German, and then the Italian champions in the final,” said Ivan Rakitic.
Barcelona's run in the Champions League in the 2014-15 season is still considered an iconic one by the fans. The club defeated Manchester City on a 3-1 aggregate scoreline in the Round of 16, before moving on to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals.
Former Barcelona star Neymar Jr. scored in both legs against the Parisians, alongside Luis Suarez, leading the Catalan club to a 5-1 win on aggregate.
In the semifinals, Barcelona faced Bayern Munich, where Lionel Messi delivered an incredible performance scoring two goals in the first leg. Neymar Jr. scored the third one in stoppage time. Despite losing the second leg of the semis, Barcelona reached the UCL finals after winning 3-5 on aggregate.
In the final against Juventus, Ivan Rakitic scored the opening goal, followed by Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr. The Blaugrana picked up their fifth Champions League title in Berlin following a 3-1 win and haven't been able to win the trophy or reach the final since then.