At the start of the season, Lionel Messi stated his desire to mark his first season as captain by lifting the Champions League after four years of disappointment.
At the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Boca Juniors back in August, the five-time gave a brilliant speech to the crowd telling them they would be hoping to secure the richest prize in European club football again.
"We still have some unfinished business in the Champions League - more than anything - because of the way we were knocked out of the competition," Messi stressed.
"We promise we will do everything possible so much that the coveted Champions League will come back to Camp Nou."
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The mission was going pretty well until last night when Barca fell apart at Anfield against Liverpool, bottling a Champions League second leg for the second season in a row after being knocked out by Roma last term.
Trailing 3-0 thanks from the first leg after a Messi masterclass, Divock Origi and Gini Wijnaldum bagged braces to send Jurgen Klopp's side into a second consecutive Champions League final.
It means that after 10 games, 12 goals and three assists, Messi's quest for his fifth Champions League goes on for another season.
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After his sensational two-goal performance in the first leg, Messi was not his quite his usual self at Anfield. Andy Robertson rattled the Argentine early doors and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's performance did suffer as a result.
And his night was made worse after the humbling defeat as Messi was forced to have a doping test straight after the game.
As per El Chiringuito, Messi provided a sample but the process took so long that Barca left for the airport without him and the Blaugrana made alternative travel arrangements to reunite him with the rest of the squad for the journey back.
His disappointment was clear in the mixed zone, where he was not in the mood for a chat after passing through the area much later than his teammates.
Messi and Barca will have re-assess and go again next year but the overriding feeling is that it's monumental missed opportunity for the Blaugrana this time around.
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