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Barcelona signed off the 2020-21 La Liga season with a win at Eibar thanks to a solitary second-half goal from Antoine Griezmann. The three points mean Barca finish third in the table behind champions Atletico Madrid and runners-up Real Madrid.
Griezmann spoke to reporters after the match and admitted his teammates were still hurting after a disappointing end to the season that saw the Catalans miss out on the title, as reported by Marca.
He explained after the final whistle, “We are still hurt, we failed in important games. Now we have to rest and see what things we can improve on to be a team that can win it all next year.”
Griezmann’s winner was an acrobatic volley that made it 13 for the season in La Liga, but the Frenchman was not really in the mood to celebrate his strike. He said only, “The important thing was to win and come out with a victory. I’m happy with the goal, but that’s it. I’m still disappointed in this league. We have to work and improve.”
The former Atletico man did, however, take time out to offer his congratulations to Diego Simeone’s side. He added, “Congratulations to Atletico, I’m very happy for them, for Cholo, Koke, the friends I have there… the Atletico fans deserve it.”
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Koeman Says Barcelona Squad Not Good Enough
Coach Ronald Koeman also offered his thoughts after the win which could end up being the Dutchman’s final game in charge. Koeman’s position is the subject of intense speculation after a poor end to the season.
The 58-year-old told reporters that the squad needs improving over the summer and is not yet at the level required by a club of the calibre of Barcelona, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
“At the moment we arrived, the squad was done. The only signing we made was Dest, on the last day. For me it is not a squad with the level we want for Barça. Many at the club think the same,” he said. “We are trying to improve the squad. There are older players, with all due respect, who have shown that they have a level for this team. Others, younger, need to gain experience and will be better players. The squad is not complete and cannot be done in one season alone.”
Big Changes Coming To Barcelona?
A summer of big changes is expected with president Joan Laporta having said in the build-up to the match that “a cycle has ended” and “we’ll need to build a very competitive team” in order to win titles, as reported by The Independent.
Barca’s difficult financial situation means there could be a host of players departing, while the club and Laporta will have to spend wisely when it comes to strengthening the squad.
The president also has a big decision to make on Koeman. The Dutchman has a year left on his contract, has won the Copa del Rey and been happy to hand some of the club’s young players plenty of game time this season.
However, the Dutchman has come up short in big games, failing to beat Real Madrid or Atletico this season and suffering defeat at the last-16 stage of the Champions League. Yet there’s no outstanding candidate to replace Koeman as yet which leaves Laporta with a difficult decision to make.
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