Barcelona are preparing a major overhaul at the club after the team’s failure to win any silverware for the second season running.
“The poor performance means we have to make changes,” sporting director Txiki Begiristain told Barca TV.
“Now is the time to analyse the situation and we will make the decisions at the end of the season.”
Although Barca’s 1-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Champions League ended their chance of winning a trophy this season, Begiristain had already decided that changes had to be made.
“If we had got to Moscow almost nothing would have changed,” he said.
“We haven’t improvised before and we aren’t going to do it now. Everything has been prepared and will be done in time. The changes will take place at the end of the season.”
Begiristain admitted that the signings the club had made last season, which included France striker Thierry Henry, defenders Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito, and midfielder Yaya Toure, had failed to improve the side.
“Last year, we reacted quickly and at the start of the season no one doubted the quality of the squad, but the truth is it hasn’t turned out well,” he continued.
“Not winning any trophies has been a big disappointment given the big names we’ve got, but the image on the poster is one thing and the performance the players actually give is another.
“The blame lies with the players, the coaches and the technical staff,” he said.
Former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, Henry, Portugal midfielder Deco, defenders Lilian Thuram and Gianluca Zambrotta, centre-back Rafael Marquez and forward Eidur Gudjohnsen are amongst the players Barca are reported to want to offload.
Catalan media also believe that coach Frank Rijkaard will leave the Nou Camp at the end of the season with former player Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho tipped as his possible replacements.
“Rijkaard has done an extraordinary job. He’s honest and he is a club man,” Begiristain said.
“He now has to find a way of finishing off the season in a dignified fashion and making people remember his successes.”
