Barcelona don’t live up to the hype

Barcelona promote themselves as the best of football clubs, but on and off the field they fail to live up to their self-image

Come Wednesday, they’ll beat from a different heart. For the first time in 17 years, Barcelona will make their Champions League bow without Xavi in their midst. But if he’s been the pulse of the on-field revolution, then he’s been the mouth of the off-field sentiment that has become unbearable across that time as well.

Too often, when evaluating Barcelona, that’s overlooked. We’re not questioning their achievements, but we are questioning the balance ...