Xavi speaks in the press conferences, but also in the lineups. And at the same time as it seeks to secure second place in the League, it is preparing for the next season on the field: Cancelo and João Félix started the game against Almería on the bench and Lewandowski was replaced, once again. Three players identified by the coach on the field and in the offices. “I am very excited and eager to start the preseason, I see it as an opportunity, with all the ambition to win titles,” Xavi started, after Barcelona’s victory against Almería (0-2). Xavi jumps from hope to realism, a cyclothymic speech that irritates the offices. “I understand the noise, but if you ask me, I have a lot of desire and enthusiasm. Planning with Deco and the president for next season,” concluded Xavi.
0
Luis Maximiano, Marc Pubill, César Montes, Bruno Langa, Chumi, Jonathan Viera (Gonzalo Melero, min. 68), Marcos Peña, Lucas Robertone, Embarba (Álex Centelles, min. 80), Leo Baptistao (Luka Romero, min. 59 ) and Lozano (Luis Suárez, min. 58)
2
Ter Stegen, Pau Cubarsí, Íñigo Martínez, Koundé, Hector Fort (Cancelo, min. 73), Sergi Roberto (A. Christensen, min. 68), Pedri (Oriol Romeu, min. 82), Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, Ferrán Torres (Vitor Roque, min. 73) and Lewandowski (João Félix, min. 68)
Goals 0-1 min. 13: Fermin Lopez. 0-2 min. 67: Fermin Lopez.
Referee Javier Alberola Rojas
Yellow cards Vitor Roque (min. 85)
This Thursday, the morning started hectic in Barcelona. In reality, the buzz had started on Wednesday afternoon after Xavi Hernández’s press conference. Both in the offices of the Camp Nou and in those of the Ciudad Deportiva, the coach’s appearance was surprising. From the euphoria and confidence in the team that he had shown the day he announced his continuity on the Barça bench – “I think this is a winning project, I have every hope,” he said at the time –, the coach moved to an attitude more pessimistic, according to management sources. “The culé must understand that the situation is very complicated and that it has nothing to do with that of 25 years ago. Now the coach can’t ask ‘this one, this one and this one. The objective is to change, otherwise we will stay the same,” declared Xavi before traveling to Almería.
Xavi’s new staging alerted his dissidents on the board of directors. And they are not few. They were in charge of alerting Laporta that the message was different from the one he had pronounced when he agreed to his continuity at Barcelona, on April 24, in the president’s penthouse in the upper area of Barcelona. According to board sources, Laporta had explained to Xavi that this summer it was impossible to make a revolution in the squad. A premise that the technician had accepted without question. “I am strong,” he answered at that meeting.
The sports area also did not understand the new attitude. Firstly because they understood that Xavi had pushed to sign players like Kimmich, Dani Olmo and Nico Williams. “It was not what was discussed with the president,” they commented. And second, because the technical secretariat considers that the staff is competitive. “He didn’t complain last year when he won. And we only lost Busquets and Dembélé, who played less than Raphinha,” they conclude. In the 2022-2023 campaign, the Brazilian played 2,924 minutes compared to the Frenchman’s 2,169.
In the Camp Nou offices there was talk of “tension” between the president and the coach. The absence of Laporta and Deco in the expedition to Almería intensified the rumors about the distance between the board of directors and the coaching staff. According to the official version, Laporta did not travel due to “scheduling issues”, while Deco had “a personal matter”. The club’s communications department denied any type of discrepancy. A similar attitude took over the coach’s entourage: “Nothing new, we’ve been the same all season.” Xavi insisted on the same message: I said that the situation is not the best, but that we are all working to reverse it.” And, just in case, he finished: “There is always noise here, but I am calm and excited.”
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