When the era ended has been the subject of debate. There are as many options as there are opinions.
Maybe it was when Neymar left for Paris, or when Andrés Iniesta departed for Japan. Maybe it happened gradually, under the management of Ernesto Valverde or his successor, Quique Setién. He presided over the conclusion of Barcelona’s first trophy-less season in 12 years. Or perhaps it came crashing down on one agonizing evening last August, as Bayern Munich scored goal after goal in an 8-2 Champions League rout. And if wasn’t that night, then the subsequent burofax from want-away icon Lionel Messi surely indicated that their romance, and Barcelona’s reign as the club that redefined the sport, was over.