It has been a disappointing season for FC Barcelona as they are set to finish the campaign without any trophy after having won two last season.
The month of January saw the Blaugrana lose the Spanish Super Cup to Real Madrid before being eliminated from the Copa del Rey a few days later.
Last month, the Catalans crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the hands of PSG before a Clasico defeat put an end to their hopes of retaining La Liga.
Following that, it was made clear that Barcelona’s key end-of-season objective was to finish second in the league so as to qualify for the Spanish Super Cup for next season.
However, the 2-4 loss to Girona this past weekend has put that goal in jeopardy as well, as Barça are now third in the table, a point behind Michel’s side.
Finishing third could cost Barcelona dearly
At a time when the club is going through a difficult situation financially, every penny matters for Barcelona.
As such, finishing second is a crucial objective as participation in the Super Cup guarantees additional revenue.
Now, Marta Ramon of RAC1 reports that the difference between a second-place and a third-place finish in La Liga could be as high as €7 million in terms of the league television rights.
In essence, should Barcelona finish third instead of second, they would stand to miss out an additional €7 million in revenue from the television rights, apart from missing out on the Spanish Super Cup money.
Such a situation would be highly unfavourable for Joan Laporta & co. As such, reports suggest that if Barcelona do not finish second in the league, there may be a possibility that Xavi could still lose his job.
The Catalans take on Real Sociedad in their next La Liga game before facing UD Almeria and Rayo Vallecano. Xavi’s side will end their campaign with an away fixture against Sevilla.
