Coach Luis Enrique has said that the blame lies with him for Barcelona's shock 4-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup at San Mames.
Ernesto Valverde's side obliterated the treble-winning Catalans last night, with Aritz Aduriz's hat-trick putting them on the brink of their first trophy since 1984.
Enrique elected to rest a number of key players - not Lionel Messi or Luis Suarez - after Sevilla took them to extra time during Tuesday's UEFA Super Cup win in Tbilisi, Georgia.
"I had to make many changes because we had only three days to recover. I take responsibility for the loss," Luis Enrique told the media after the clash.
"The schedule hurt us, as we had just come back from a trip to Georgia, but this is not the time to look for excuses. The calendar is what it is."
The second leg takes place at Camp Nou this Monday.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
