BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - About 40 fans jeered FC Barcelona players and officials at the city's El Prat airport following the team's humiliating 4-1 defeat by archrivals Real Madrid.
Supporters made insulting gestures as Barcelona left the car park by bus early Thursday morning, several hours after the loss at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium ended its hopes of finishing second in the league.
The Catalan team trails champion Madrid by 17 points in third place, guaranteeing its worst finish in five years and obliging it to play in the qualifying phase of the Champions League and return to training earlier in the offseason.
Barcelona was also recently eliminated from the Champions League semifinals by Manchester United 1-0 on aggregate.
Barcelona supporters are again expected to vent their frustrations at the team's second straight season without a major trophy when it faces seventh-place Mallorca at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
The match could be coach Frank Rijkaard's last home appearance in charge as reports suggest that Barcelona has lined up reserve team coach and former midfielder Pep Guardiola as a replacement.
Rijkaard, who has been in charge for five years, led the team to the league title in 2005 and both the league and Champions League the following year.
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