On a sporting and financial level, the elimination in Milan is a serious blow for Barcelona. The return leg of the semi-finals at the Giuseppe Meazza saw the end of the Champions League and the treble for the Azulgranas. A result that does not detract from their great season, but which will leave them at half speed. European competition continues to elude them and, in addition, the elimination leaves them without a significant financial windfall.
Barça has been guilty of conceding too many goals lately. The Azulgrana side has conceded 16 goals in its last seven official matches. Hansi Flick’s men have become accustomed to fighting against the tide in their recent matches, demonstrating in each one their ability to react and that they are a team that does not give up until the end. They did so against Inter Milan, but it did not work out.
Barça came close to glory by putting Inter on the ropes after coming back from 2-0 down to make it 3-2 on the scoreboard. They were just minutes away from returning to the Champions League final, but goals from Acerbi in the 93rd minute and Frattesi in extra time (4-3: 7-6 on aggregate) cruelly shattered Barça’s dream and allowed the Italians to book their ticket to Munich.
A dream that fell by the wayside, leaving behind a juicy financial prize. Until yesterday, Barça had earned €18 million just for participating. Added to that was $2.1 million for each win and $700,000 for each draw in the eight league games. Furthermore, advancing in the tournament meant cumulative prizes: $11 million for reaching the round of 16, $12.5 million for the quarterfinals, and $15 million for the semifinals.
Had they qualified, the Azulgrana would have added at least the amount allocated to the runner-up, $18.5 million. Had they won the title, Hansi Flick’s men would have added a hefty $25 million for lifting the trophy.
These sums would have been a godsend for Barça, which continues to struggle financially and whose salary cap is complicating the management of pending renewals, as well as the fight for signings, unable to compete with Premier League giants, not so much in terms of transfer fees, but in terms of being unable to guarantee the registration of the player in question if he is signed.