Luis Suarez offered a scathing assessment of his Barcelona team, saying they played like "schoolboys" in the remarkable 4-0 Uefa Champions League semi-final, second-leg defeat to Liverpool.
Barca looked to be destined for the final following a 3-0 win at the Camp Nou last week, but were blown away at Anfield following two goals each from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum to lose 4-3 on aggregate.
The decisive fourth goal, when full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold took a quick corner for Origi to sweep home unmarked, in particularly angered Suarez.
"For their fourth goal we looked like schoolboys; we have to be ready for all the criticism that is going to rain down on us now," said the Uruguayan striker, who spent three-and-a-half seasons at Liverpool.
"We are very sad, we are in a lot of pain, we feel this pain even though we are professionals."
Spanish champions Barca were the only unbeaten side left in the competition but found themselves overwhelmed by Liverpool, sinking to a second straight shocking Champions League exit after last season's 3-0 defeat at Roma in the quarter finals.
The Catalans won the first leg of that tie 4-1 and Suarez, 32, admonished his team for letting a huge lead slip away from them once again.
"We have to do a lot of self-criticism because this is the second time that the same thing has happened to us. We cannot commit the same mistake two years in a row; there are many things we need to consider and think about," Suarez said.
"They [Liverpool] did what they wanted to do, which was to score early. They believed from the first minute to the last."
Barca manager Ernesto Valverde fielded the same starting line-up at Anfield as he had played in the first leg – just as he had done in the fateful second leg away to Roma.
But Suarez insisted Valverde, who led Barca to two successive La Liga titles and took them to the Copa del Rey final, should not face criticism for another European meltdown.
"We are the ones that played the game," Suarez said. "The boss used the same tactics as in the first leg and he tried to do the same thing here. You have to say sorry for the attitude and the things that everyone saw today."
