Barcelona's treble

Jose Mourinho forced his Manchester United players to hold three fingers up after they won the Europa League against Ajax. Three fingers signifying a treble, with the other two trophies being the Community Shield and the League Cup.

Not only was it unedifying for this to come from a manager who has won an actual treble, with Inter Milan in 2010, but fundamentally it was a shabby moment to cap a shabby year from a team that played shabby football.

Meanwhile Barcelona’s season is being looked at as a failure, and compared to what they have achieved in the previous two years, that is completely fair. Numerically at least.

But if unorthordox trebles are being tallied up, Barcelona ‘won’ a more impressive one, with two other achievements to go alongside the Copa del Rey they lifted on Saturday. And that’s not even including the Spanish Super Cup.

Outside the club’s training ground painted in big, white slaps on a fence, are the words “Barca 6-1”. Someone felt they had to write it there.

Because the 6-1 win over PSG on March 8 not only is a game worth remembering, it is one which can never be forgotten. Nobody will be running around Manchester writing 2-0 on the walls.

This match was a truly priceless moment in time, it is what football is about. It makes the whole thing worth it.

And so was Lionel Messi’s last minute winner at the Santiago Bernabeu and his celebration too, holding his own shirt aloft for all to see after scoring the third in Barcelona’s 3-2 win.

Barcelona supporters will remember and cherish those moments for far longer than they will recall anything from the league title they won in 2016.

Of course, titles are important. At least the big ones, La Liga, the Champions League.

And Real Madrid may be able to win that double, which would complete an superb season for them.

But as Luis Enrique waves goodbye, he leaves the club with three moments of true history.