Gerard Pique admitted that Barcelona’s season would be a failure if they did the seemingly impossible and lost their La Liga title.
Pique has seen his team surrender a comfortable lead at the top of the La Liga table, after a 2-1 loss in the El Clasico against Real Madrid early in April.
That defeat was the first of three straight losses in La Liga which has allowed Atletico to move equal on points with Barca, while Madrid trail by one point.
Barca were also eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Atletico at the quarter-final stage.
Spain defender Pique struggled to explain the downturn in form, but said even the best sides have off-days.
“It is normal to have potholes throughout the year but we had bad luck that they have arrived at those crucial moments,” Pique said.
“But we do not give them more importance.
“We still have the league and the Copa del Rey two very exciting titles and we have to go for them.”
But should Barca fail to hold onto their slender La Liga lead with three games to play, Pique said the season would be a failure – as any season without a league title would be.
“As long as I have been at the club, if you do not win the league, it is a failure,” he said.
“There are three league games and we are depending upon ourselves, but we may lose the league if we do not win matches.
“We in this club have to compete for the major titles and the league is [a major title].”
