‘We should’ve won 3-4 Champions Leagues’… Former Barcelona midfielder thinks the team should have achieved more under Luis Enrique | OneFootball

FC Barcelona has a long and storied past, and many great players have represented the club at some point. While a new generation is now leading the way today, the club’s roots and history are equally important. After all, Barcelona would not be where it is today without the glory and heartbreaks of the past.

While young stars like Lamine Yamal and Pedri continue to astound and impress today, these players themselves are fans who have enjoyed the heroes of the past. From Lionel Messi to Ronaldinho, there is no shortage of icons at the club.

However, when it comes to the team that was assembled under the leadership of Spanish coach Luis Enrique back around 2015, that squad possessed a level of quality few others in history can match. Led by Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Jr up in attack, the legendary MSN trio, it was a team that seemed to be destined for greatness.

Ivan Rakitic has lingering regrets with the UCL

Ivan Rakitic previously played under Luis Enrique at Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Ultimately, they did achieved exactly that under the leadership of Enrique. With multiple La Liga titles, one UEFA Champions League title, and several others, that iconic Barcelona team was not a side to be meddled with. However, a key component of that team who is now retired believes that they could have done more.

As quoted by SPORT, former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic believes the team should have achieved more under Luis Enrique, especially in terms of the UEFA Champions League when asked about that team only winning a singular UCL title:

“It’s sad. And frustrating. I’ve said it before: we let ourselves slip. And I think every one of us—Leo, Ney, Luis, Busi, Andrés, Piqué—deserves a smack for that. Without Xavi, we lost key details. We should’ve won 3–4 Champions Leagues.”

Discussing what went wrong at Barcelona

He was then asked to explain what went wrong, and Rakitic provided a few different possibilities and details of carelessness that may have cost that Barcelona team:

“Hard to say. Maybe we stopped focusing on the small stuff—like winning easy group games, or preparing the right way for second legs. At top level, you get punished. And we were.”

However, nothing can be done today to change the past and what happened. Still, Rakitic ended his career with great honours and many titles to his name, and Barcelona even sent him a heartfelt message upon hearing the news of his recent retirement.