Xavi: “This is reality, the harsh reality”

After the tragedy, the relegation to the second European division, Xavi stayed at the door of the Allianz changing room tunnel. He politely waited for his colleague, Julian Nagelsmann, the coach who wanted to sign and Laporta could not (it cost Bayern 25 million euros), and sneaked into the Munich dressing room. Behind him, and it is not his responsibility, remains the decadence built by everyone for six and a half years.

A decadence that explodes now in the face because Barça does not deserve to be in the European aristocracy. It’s a Europa League team and thank you. He finished third, behind Benfica, leaving a miserable offensive trail on the road (two goals in six matchdays and with three different coaches, Koeman, Sergi and Xavi), unable to defend with “pride and dignity”, as Laporta demanded hours before of the game, that tiny door to stay in the Champions League.

Years of lead

A closed door causing the return of Barça to the lead years. Years of chaos. Years of hardship. Years of a long, very long journey through the desert, showing that the crisis is not attributable to Koeman. And much less Xavi, who was serving precisely one month in Munich in office, turned into an electric chair through which four coaches have paraded in less than two years. From Valverde (fired in January 2020) to Setién (August 2020) to Koeman (November 2021) without forgetting Sergi’s brief interim before Xavi’s arrival.

“They have subjected us to us,” said the new coach with a rueful gesture, unable as he was to find the solution required by Barça, which has gone from bad to worse. “This is the reality, the harsh reality,” Xavi added later. “We are Barça, we have not competed. This is our reality, we must rebel against this and put Barcelona where it deserves that it is not playing the Europa League,” he insisted. “Barça cannot afford this. Today a new era begins. That is what I have said to my players,” he said.

“I am a culé of feeling, we cannot be in this situation,” said the coach, outraged by the attitude of his team. “We have to work hard to take Barça where it deserves. I’m pissed off. This is our reality, it annoys me a lot, but we have to face it, there is no other,” he exclaimed, tremendously hurt to see how Barça had neither game nor attitude to rebel against a new European downfall. A fall that now separates him from the elite and leads him to the abyss of playing the Europa League. “We have to go win it,” demanded the coach. “This must be a turning point. I feel and love this club, I will give my life to put the club where it deserves,” said Xavi.

Related news

“It is a blow for me as a coach, I expected to compete better. They have been better than us, we are going to work to get Barça back. We have to change things, it is clear,” the coach himself confessed dejectedly.