Barcelona boss Xavi has insisted that he is "the main one responsible" for the team failing to qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League.
Inter Milan's 4-0 victory over Viktoria Plzen in Wednesday's early start meant that the La Liga side had been eliminated from the competition before they took to the field against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou.
Barcelona then suffered a 3-0 defeat to Bayern, with the result leaving them third in Group C on four points, which has confirmed their spot in the Europa League.
The Catalan outfit have lost three of their five games in the group stage, and Xavi has admitted that Inter's result ahead of their kickoff against Bayern had a huge impact on the team.
The 42-year-old said that his side "didn't compete" or "reach Bayern's level" on Wednesday, but he was prepared to take the blame for the exit.
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"We have to face reality. I said that we had to grow through hard blows, we have to keep going. We say goodbye to the Champions League, a blow that forces us to be self-critical," Xavi told reporters.
"I understand that people are talking about failure, but we have analysed everything. We have made many mistakes, but in the other games we have competed to deserve something more.
"Barca didn't compete today, we didn't reach Bayern's level. Bayern were better today, they played more intensely and aggressively.
"The truth is that knowing that we had already been eliminated from the Champions League before the game against Bayern has affected us a lot.
"The truth is that this year, unlike the last, I felt like we had the squad to win this tournament. What happened is unacceptable. In Munich, we were better than Bayern and we didn't take advantage of that. I was affected after the match in Milan. The refereeing decisions were unfair and so was the result."
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When asked who was to blame for the disappointing Champions League campaign, Xavi was prepared to take the responsibility for the early exit.
"I am the main one responsible for the elimination," said the head coach.
However, Xavi is confident that Barcelona can still enjoy a strong campaign, with the Catalan side fighting for success in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, while they will be one of the favourites for the Europa League.
"I still think we can and we need to win titles this season. We have to keep going. We have titles to fight for this season," he added on Wednesday night.
Barcelona, who will finish their Champions League campaign away to Plzen on November 1, will be bidding to return to winning ways on Saturday when they head to Valencia in La Liga.
Matt Law
