Barcelona seemed destined for a third straight Champions League triumph. What went wrong?

New York Times

25-05-2025

While Arsenal celebrated their second Women's Champions League title with their fans in one corner, Barcelona's players looked out at the stands as their fans cheered them, offering warmth but no consolation.
It brought back memories of the 2022 final in Turin, when Barcelona arrived feeling like favourites but ended up losing to Lyon. This time, they entered the match aiming for a third successive Champions League title and fourth overall.
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And yet, when referee Ivana Martincic signalled the end of the match, it was Arsenal who were celebrating. Esmee Brugts collapsed to the ground, trying to take in what had happened. Ingrid Engen cried inconsolably after what will be her final European match for Barca.
The camera immediately focused on Aitana Bonmati, who was inconsolable, covering her face with her hands. Her nails were painted red with touches of blue, the colours of her team.
While Arsenal celebrated, Mariona Caldentey distanced herself from the celebrations and went to comfort her former team-mates.
The Mallorcan had just won her third consecutive Champions League title — the previous two with Barca and this one with Arsenal — and this had been the most difficult match of her life, given an association with Barca that lasted for a decade.
She saw Bonmati, who was crying uncontrollably, and hugged her. It was one of the defining images of the night.
'We're devastated, in shock. We weren't able to play our game. We're in a bad way,' Alexia Putellas told TV3 from the pitch at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. 'Today will be tough. You look at the stands and you don't understand how this could have happened.'
In this final, Barcelona were playing their 100th UEFA Women's Champions League match. Curiously, they were doing so against the same opponent they played in their first game. In 2012-13, that match ended 3-0 to Arsenal, with the English side winning 7-0 on aggregate in the round of 32.
All these years later, the Catalan club had all the odds in their favour: they had played in the past five Champions League finals, winning two in a row, in addition to beating Chelsea in 2021. Their squad includes the winners of the past four Ballons d'Or, Putellas (2021, 2022) and Bonmati (2023, 2024).
Pere Romeu's team are the best in Spain and have been the best in Europe over a sustained period. They are one of the leading lights in women's football worldwide.
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Their Champions League campaign gave cause for optimism going into the final. They had lost only one game, the first, against Manchester City. Since then, they scored 26 goals in the group stage and conceded only one. In the quarter-finals, they eliminated Wolfsburg with a 10-2 aggregate score, and in the semi-finals they thrashed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate.
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However, none of that translated onto the pitch.
So what happened? What went wrong?
Barca were unrecognisable from the team we know they can be. Arsenal managed to neutralise their midfield. They could not find Patri Guijarro, Putellas or Bonmati, the three players who create their play and through whom the moves flow.
There were a lot of rushed passes, especially from Irene Paredes, although this also happened to Arsenal in the first half and Barca could not get the best out of Salma Paralluelo or Claudia Pina in attacking areas.
Goalkeeper Cata Coll was undoubtedly Barca's player of the match. She prevented Arsenal from taking the lead in the first half, tipping a long-range shot from Frida Maanum onto the crossbar.
In the second half, Barca were better but, perhaps in their best moment of the match, Arsenal scored and the goal changed the game. Barca lacked ideas and the ability to react and were unable to score.
'The second half was better, we were constantly in the opposition's half,' said Romeu in his post-match press conference. 'We had to attack a defence that was already very crowded. I think that in our play out wide we weren't very clear about our crosses. 'They cleared several balls because they feel uncomfortable in this kind of aerial play and we weren't very clinical in picking up the second balls after the crosses. I think that's one of the mistakes we made.'
Sometimes football can seem unfair. This may seem like a failure, but is not normal for a team to win everything all the time, to be in five consecutive Champions League finals and win them all.
'I don't think people should focus only on this match, because it doesn't justify the great season the team has had and is still having,' Romeu said.
'I think the measure of a team's competitiveness is how many games you play at the end of the season, and we made it to the last game of the Champions League.'
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'Deep down, I think this will make us stronger next season,' Bonmati told TV3 while still on the pitch, her eyes swollen from crying.
'We'll learn. I know that whenever we lose, I come out and say this,' Putellas added on TV3.
It is true they always say it, but it is also true they always do it. You would not bet against a different outcome next season.