Barcelona have been humiliated and humbled for the second straight season in the Champions League, after Inter beat Viktoria Plzen to confirm their place in the knockout stages.
The Nerazzurri cruised to victory over the Czech side, winning 4-0 in a match that was never in doubt. Even if Barcelona were to beat Bayern Munich and Viktoria Plzen and level Inter on ten points, the Italians have the head-to-head advantage.
It means Barcelona will be playing in the Europa League after Christmas for the second season in a row. A blow that comes after spending over €150m in the summer to revamp their squad, bringing in the likes of Robert Lewnadowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde for big money.
The financial aspect is the main concern for Barcelona. The club will lose out on valuable financial income through lost TV revenue and victory bonuses. It has been estimated at €19m, however the opportunity cost, marketing and sponsor money is likely to eclipse that figure by some distance.
At a precarious time in terms of club finances, President Joan Laporta had sold the transfer investment as the beginning of a virtuous circle in order to bring back success to the club, but results are not following on the pitch.
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