Joan Laporta’s patience seems to have reached its limit after Barcelona’s recent 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid in Montjuïc.
That match was a night to forget for the club president, who looked visibly upset as he left the pitch. As a result, the team has now lost three consecutive home games, a record that has begun to generate a wave of internal and external criticism of the club’s sporting management.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper “El Nacional”, Laporta’s anger was not limited to the result alone, but also extended to one of the team’s most prominent players: “Robert Lewandowski”.
The Polish striker, 36 years old, did not live up to expectations in the match. He wasted several clear chances and showed a form far from his best, which has begun to raise concerns among club officials about his future.
Within Laporta’s administration, questions have started to grow about the wisdom of continuing to rely on a player who, despite his proven quality, appears to be in the final stages of his career. The president hinted, during the defeat, that he could not rely solely on Lewandowski as the only solution to the goal-scoring problem.
Barcelona is paying the price for its over-reliance on Lewandowski in attack. In the absence of a reliable alternative, the responsibility for scoring goals falls entirely on him. This not only harms the Pole’s performance but also limits the tactical options of coach Hansi Flick, who finds himself with a predictable team due to the lack of effective attacking alternatives.
With the absence of goals from other strikers, the urgent need to strengthen the front line is increasing. Laporta is aware that relying on a player of Lewandowski’s age to lead the team in major European competitions has become an unfeasible strategy.
Although Lewandowski arrived at Barcelona as a world-class star, his performances in recent matches have raised doubts about his continuity. Internally, some voices have started to suggest that the club should look for a young striker who can lead the attack in the near future.
So far, Laporta has not made a final decision on Lewandowski’s future, but it is clear that the defeat to Atlético Madrid has served as a wake-up call.
At Camp Nou, discussions are already underway about possible moves in the winter transfer market to strengthen the attacking line and ease the pressure on Lewandowski, whose future at the club could be determined by his ability to regain his best form in the coming months.
Barcelona’s goal-scoring crisis is threatening the team’s sporting plans, and Laporta knows he cannot afford any more mistakes if he wants to return the team to the top of Europe.