Without going into details, it is clear that Barcelona lacks “Champions League experience,” as it requires special handling from the players, even if they have an experienced coach.
Barça began to suffer from this crisis after Lionel Messi’s departure, and the end of the golden generation that imposed its dominance on Europe and won the last title. It is enough to mention the terrifying attacking trio of Luis Suárez and Neymar da Silva at their peak, alongside Messi.
Looking back at the lineup that beat Juventus (3–1) in the 2015 final in Berlin, we find more than one experienced element. Aside from the attacking trio, there was a midfield composed of Iniesta, Busquets, and Rakitić, with Xavi coming on as a substitute. This was in addition to Piqué, Mascherano, Dani Alves, and Jordi Alba in defense.
All of these were stars with vast experience, and most of them had already won the title four years earlier at the expense of Manchester United, led by Luis Enrique.
But Barcelona’s current generation lacks this kind of experience. In fact, the lineup that played against Atlético Madrid did not include any player who had previously won the “big-eared trophy” except Robert Lewandowski. Even if the coach is Hans Flick, who has also previously won the continental title, he cannot work a miracle by changing reality in a short time.
Despite Flick’s success in leading the team to the semifinals last season, he lost the qualification spot due to defensive mistakes that indicate a lack of experience.
Nor can it be said that Inter Milan were strong enough to bring down Barcelona, as evidenced by their 5–0 defeat in the final to Paris Saint-Germain; therefore, Barça were responsible for their loss.