Today marks four years since that tragic night when Barcelona was eliminated from the Champions League and thrashed 8-2 in the quarterfinals by Bayern Munich, led by none other than Hansi Flick, who is now Barcelona’s current coach. That night is remembered as one of the darkest chapters in the club’s recent history.

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On that fateful night in 2020, with Lionel Messi leading the team and Quique Setién as coach, Barcelona suffered a humiliating defeat at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a time when the world was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, and many sports events were canceled, so fans could only witness this match from their homes on TV.

This historic loss marked the end of an era for Barcelona—a turning point for a team that had grown accustomed to glorious and epic nights over the past 30 years. The team was already on a downward spiral after a disappointing season under Ernesto Valverde, leading the club’s management to bring in Setién, a decision that ultimately didn’t work out.

By halftime, Barcelona was already down 1-4, with goals from Müller, Perišić, and Serge Gnabry. On the Spanish side, a lone own goal by David Alaba in the 7th minute was the only mark on the scoreboard for Setién’s team. In the second half, when a comeback was hoped for, things only got worse for Barça as they conceded four more goals, courtesy of Joshua Kimmich, Robert Lewandowski (now a Barcelona player), and Philippe Coutinho, who also had a history with Barcelona.

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Today, the story is entirely different. Barcelona is still searching for its winning essence and continues to try to recover from that painful blow that marked its recent history. The changes in the team continue, but perhaps the most striking is that the architect of Bayern’s historic thrashing of Barcelona, Hansi Flick, is now in charge of trying to restore the club to the glory it once dominated in football.