Egypt, Gambia discuss opening first Egyptian medical centre in Banjul    Oil prices rise on Monday    Gold jumps to new record on Monday    Asian stocks advance on Monday    India's Taj brand enters Egypt to operate Cairo's historic Continental Hotel    Vertex Technologies sponsors MCIT job fair to support youth employment and outsourcing talent    Egypt calls for Nile Basin inclusivity and rejection of unilateral measures in Rwanda talks    Egypt proposes direct Cairo-Lilongwe flight and airport rehabilitation in Malawi talks    Egypt sends 15th urgent aid convoy to Gaza in cooperation with Catholic Relief Services    Gold prices in Egypt surge by over EGP 2,000 in 2025: iSagha    Al-Sisi meets Kurdistan Region PM Barzani, reaffirms support for Iraq's unity    Al-Sisi: Egypt seeks binding Nile agreement with Ethiopia    Mediterranean veterinary heads select Egypt to lead regional health network    Egyptian-built dam in Tanzania is model for Nile cooperation, says Foreign Minister    Egypt partners with global firms to localise medical imaging technology    Egypt flags red lines, urges Sudan unity, civilian protection    Al-Sisi affirms support for Sudan's sovereignty and calls for accountability over conflict crimes    Central Bank of Egypt, Medical Emergencies, Genetic and Rare Diseases Fund renew deal for 3 years    Egypt's SPNEX Satellite successfully enters orbit    Egypt unveils restored colossal statues of King Amenhotep III at Luxor mortuary temple    Egyptian Golf Federation appoints Stuart Clayton as technical director    4th Egyptian Women Summit kicks off with focus on STEM, AI    Egypt's PM reviews major healthcare expansion plan with Nile Medical City    UNESCO adds Egyptian Koshari to intangible cultural heritage list    UNESCO adds Egypt's national dish Koshary to intangible cultural heritage list    Egypt recovers two ancient artefacts from Belgium    Egypt, Saudi nuclear authorities sign MoU to boost cooperation on nuclear safety    Giza master plan targets major hotel expansion to match Grand Egyptian Museum launch    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Barcelona's Pique calls for wholesale changes after 'shameful' Bayern defeat
Reuters Published in Ahram Online on 15 - 08 - 2020

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said radical changes were needed from top to bottom after his side were annihilated 8-2 by Bayern Munich on Friday to exit the Champions League in one of the Catalan side's darkest ever nights.
“We feel devastated, although shame is the real word I'm looking for. We cannot afford to compete like this because it's not the first, the second or the third time that something like this has happened,” a tearful Pique told reporters after the quarter-final drubbing, their worst ever result in Europe.
“This is very painful but I hope it serves some purpose.”
Pique, one of the surviving members of the team who won the Champions League in 2009 under Pep Guardiola to begin a golden era for the Catalans, said he was ready to leave the club in order to ensure they improve.
He also appeared to blame the Barca hierarchy, which includes president Josep Maria Bartomeu, for the team's predicament as he called for changes at the very top.
“We all need to reflect deeply, the club needs lots of changes, I'm not talking about the coach, players - I don't want to point the finger at anyone but the club needs changes on a structural level,” he said.
“If new blood needs to come for the club to change course then I'm not untouchable and I'll be the first to leave if needs be, because it seems as if we've hit rock bottom.
“We all have to reflect about what is the best thing for the club and for Barca.”
Barca coach Quique Setien is unlikely to survive overseeing such a debacle, although he did not say whether or not he saw himself continuing in charge of the team.
“I'm not going to go into all that as I've only been here for six months but seeing as this is Pique, surely some of what he said is true,” said the coach.
“Right now we feel enormous frustration and all we can do is make conclusions and think about the future. Barca is a club that is so great that this will cause us a lot of damage and obviously some things will have to change.
“The truth is this is a tremendously painful defeat.”
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

Clic here to read the story from its source.