Barca prepare major overhaul at the end of the season

By Simon Baskett

MADRID (Reuters) - Barcelona are preparing a major overhaul at the club after the team's failure to live up to expectations this season.

"The poor performance means we have to make changes," sporting director Txiki Begiristain told Barca TV.

"Now is the time to analyse the situation and we will make the decisions at the end of the season."

Barca's 1-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the semi-finals of the Champions League this week meant that the Catalans have now gone two seasons without winning a trophy despite making heavy investment in new players.

Begiristain said that there would have been changes even if they had won the tie against the Premier League side.

"If we had got to Moscow almost nothing would have changed," he said.

"We haven't improvised before and we aren't going to do it now. Everything has been prepared and will be done in time. The changes will take place at the end of the season."

The former player admitted that the signings the club had made last season, which included France striker Thierry Henry, defenders Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito, and midfielder Yaya Toure, had failed to bring about the desired improvement.