FC Barcelona and the Paradox of Success

By almost every conceivable measure, FC Barcelona are enjoying an extraordinary start to the season. And yet, it raises a question that is deceptively difficult to answer: what, exactly, constitutes success at a football club?

Is it measured in trophies? In performances? In progress relative to where a team stood before? Or does the stature of an institution like Barcelona render all those considerations secondary to the simple obligation of winning?

Suppose Barcelona were to play some of the finest football in Europe for nine months, only to be eliminated from the Champions League by a moment of individual brilliance, an unfortunate refereeing decision or a penalty shootout. Would that fundamentally change what the preceding nine months had represented? Conversely, could a team play uninspiring football for much of a season, stumble through its most important fixtures, and ultimately be considered more successful simply because it emerged with a trophy?