It’s up for grabs at Camp Nou

Sergio Busquets was clearly angry when speaking just seconds after Barcelona had conceded an injury-time equaliser at home to Getafe two weeks ago.

“We have made mistakes that a professional doesn’t make,” Busquets told Canal Plus’s on-pitch- reporter.

Busquets’ fellow midfielder Xavi Hernandez was in a similar mood in the Camp Nou mixed zone. “We have to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch for next season,” he said.

Nearby in the stadium bowels blaugrana coach Gerardo Martino echoed what his players had just said.

“No matter what the maths say, we have gone as far as we can but it ends here, today,” Martino admitted, while suggesting he did not feel he deserved to stay on as boss for next season.

With Barcelona’s directors sensing the need for some positive PR, images were leaked the next day of Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta meeting with Celta coach Luis Enrique.

The local media was also full of long lists of the players who would be bought and sold this summer. The message was clear: 2013/14 had been a disaster, but the planning for 2014/15 was under way.

But then La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid lost 2-0 at Levante, and could only draw 1-1 at home to Malaga last weekend.

Well placed Real Madrid also somehow contrived to only take two points from three games.

Even though Barca still only themselves managed a goalless draw at Elche last weekend, they now go into this afternoon’s game against Atletico at the Camp Nou knowing that a win will see them retain the title.

It’s all been quite unexpected, as Xavi admitted this week.

“The day of the Getafe draw we saw everything as totally black, maybe we threw in the towel too early,” Xavi said.

“But football has given us an opportunity. This is not about shutting any mouths, we just must win.

“Our fans, players and staff deserve it.”

Whether Barca’s players deserve to lift the trophy is debatable, especially after a string of slack performances.

Even Martino admitted yesterday that this year had been quite different from recent glorious triumphs under predecessors Josep Guardiola and Tito Vilanova, while suggesting his exit was still certain.

“This would be this team’s first title as normal people having to suffer and fight,” Martino said.

“The other titles were those of extraterrestrials. This season has been inconsistent, with ups and down. I wish with all my soul for Barca to be champion, but it will have no bearing on my future.”

While the Barca family has been soul-searching through recent weeks, Atletico fans and pundits have been biting their nails.

One point from the two games against Levante and Malaga has given the impression of a long distance runner tying up as he enters the final stretch.

Atletico need only a draw today, and are unbeaten in five meetings with Barca earlier this season, but the bookies have the Catalans as favourites.

With next weekend’s Champions League final against Real Madrid also looming, it looks as if a team which has come so far with such scarce resources (a budget just a fifth that of their two big La Liga rivals) might just not have enough to get over the line in either competition.

The fear is now that the team could lose both deciders, followed by an exodus of big name players — Diego Costa, David Villa, Thibaut Courtois, Tiago Mendes, Filipe Luis — as Atletico cannot match the salaries on offer elsewhere.

At his pre-game press conference yesterday, Colchoneros coach Diego Simeone — who himself has caught the attention of richer clubs — admitted that repeating this year’s achievement would be very difficult.

“It is not so easy,” Simeone said. “The team has put in enormous work to be one game from winning La Liga and the Champions League.

It has taken a lot of effort and work, which would not be easy to repeat. But we are here because we deserve to be.”

So whatever happens at the Camp Nou today, the summer is likely to bring upheaval at both clubs.

Barca have got this far almost in spite of themselves, while Atletico are in danger of falling just with the finish line in sight.

There’s 90 minutes left in the strangest La Liga title race in decades.

Messi agrees new Barca deal

Lionel Messi has agreed terms on a new contract with Barcelona and will sign it in the coming days, the Catalan giants have announced.

No details of the new contract were disclosed, but the deal follows lengthy negotiations during which, it was reported, the 26-year-old wanted to surpass Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the best-paid player in the world.

“FC Barcelona announces that it has reached an agreement for the adjustment of the professional contract of Lionel Messi,” a statement on Barca’s website read. “The signing of this contract will follow in the coming days.”