Barcelona in crisis as Xavi threatens to 'pack bags and leave' after Real defeat
Xavi has threatened to QUIT Barcelona if his players lose faith in him following their 4-1 drubbing against Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana on Sunday.
Barca were thrashed at the King Fahd Stadium in Saudi Arabia after Vinicius Jr grabbed a hat-trick and Rodrygo scored the other for Carlo Ancelotti's Real. Robert Lewandowski netted Barcelona's only goal of the game as they crashed to a demoralising defeat against their arch rivals.
And ahead of their Unionistas in the last 16 of the Spanish Cup on Thursday, Xavi said: "I love this club. I'm here to bring something to it. If I don't do it, I'll go home. If I hadn't won La Liga last year I wouldn't be here."
He added: "The day my players no longer follow me, I'll pack my bags and leave. When someone tells me there's a problem, I'll leave."
Xavi was appointed as Barcelona boss in November 2021 following the departure of Ronald Koeman. He guided them to a second-place finish in La Liga during his first season, before going one better in the 2022/23 campaign as Barcelona lifted the title for the first time in four years.
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However, Barca have made a stuttering start to this season and currently sit fourth in La Liga, eight points behind leaders Girona, though Xavi's side do have a game in hand. The Catalan giants face Napoli in the Champions League last-16 first leg next month, before the return leg in March.
"When the owners signed me from Qatar, they said it was one of the worst moments in the club's history and we're in the process of changing things," Xavi continued. "I'm calm. I have three titles to win. We're closer to success than failure."
Xavi is under pressure at Barcelona (Pressinphoto/REX/Shutterstock)Xavi's comments come a day after ESPN reported that the ex-Barcelona midfielder is fighting to keep a number of players on side. It's claimed that several members of the first-team squad have been questioning Xavi's tactics and team selections for a significant period of time, and Sunday's 4-1 El Classico defeat has raised further questions.
Sporting director Deco was quizzed about Xavi's future after the loss in Saudi. "The question doesn't make sense. It's a final. This is not the time to talk about Xavi's future," Deco said. "He has the confidence of the president, the sports management... It's a tough defeat that has to be discussed, but it doesn't change anything."
Captain Sergi Roberto said: "Right now we are angry about the defeat, against Real Madrid it always hurts and I think those two goals in ten minutes were the game. We knew that with a goal we were in the game again, but it wasn't to be. I'm sure we'll get out of this. Now it's time to be self-critical and learn from our mistakes."
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