Barça’s own hands are to blame.

Barça’s problems over the years be it by failing to properly strengthen the football team to the off field issues such as Neymar transfer problems and current FIFA transfer ban. Barça can point the finger on “black hands” at work but they should point that finger at themselves for all the wrong doings they have committed by their own hands.

The recent news that Barça were banned by FIFA from any conducting any transfers was downright embarrassing. By all means, I am no advocate of FIFA or its laws. I understand that they want to avoid the equivalent of child slavery but how does a young child going to La Masia equates to slavery, I will never know. Better yet, if FIFA were so worried about children, why not investigate all those children’s fathers who have died on construction sites or barred from leaving Qatar as they prepare to hose the World Cup.

Nevertheless, all these problems Barça have been facing are problems they brought onto themselves. The club says they did nothing wrong and even presented a listing of their correspondences with FIFA over these youth players. However, the club never did follow up with FIFA to see if the matter was closed. Rather than seek confirmation and have a clear conscience, they opted to just move and forget about it.

The problem I have always had with this board is that they always seem to be reactive than be proactive. For example, they failed to sign key players, such as defenders, even when Puyol was playing hurt and Abidal was fighting for his life. They complained about Madrid and its media spreading lies and defaming the club and its players but all they did was threaten legal action; not actually go forward with such actions against Madrid media and have lunch with Real Madrid’s president.

The Neymar transfer headaches were a cause of their lack of transparency. They told us the transfer cost one amount that kept growing. The same board also promised us that the sponsorship deal with Qatar Foundation was clear and did not contain any surprises or hidden clauses and suddenly Qatar Airlines. There are also questions as to how poor was the financial state of the club and also why was Abidal let go after it was promised he would be given a new deal once he sets foot on the pitch.

In the end, all the problems that Barça are facing are a result of their own doing and not that of black hands. Club members are the ones who voted for Sandro Rosell. He was put into power by the members and a third of them just voted in favor of the referendum that will see the Camp Nou get a face lift even though we’re not aware of all the details. So please Barça board members and fans, if there’s anyone to blame for what is happening, blame Barça.