13 March 2024 , 08:33
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Xavi has fired back at criticism aimed at his Barcelona side after they booked their place in the quarter-final of the Champions League for the first time in four years.
Barca secured their spot in the last eight following a 3-1 victory over Napoli on Tuesday, wrapping up a 4-2 win on aggregate. Fermin Lopez, Joao Cancelo and Robert Lewandowski found the net at the Olympic Stadium as Barca extended their unbeaten run to nine matches.
Progress to the quarter-final represents significant progress for Barcelona, who have struggled in the Champions League of late. They lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 in 2021 before failing to get out of the group stage in each of the two previous seasons.
Speaking after the win over Napoli, Xavi, who announced earlier this year that he will leave the club at the end of the season, said: "People didn't believe me; [they said] I was going to lose the dressing room. We have received unfair criticism. There has been too much pressure on the players: ultimatums, life or death [games].
"I even read that we were the joke of the Champions League. And now what?" Since Xavi confirmed he will be stepping down in the summer, Barcelona have not lost. They have won five and drew two of their seven La Liga matches in that period and will have one eye on winning the title for the second successive year, despite being eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.
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"We are playing better than last year," he added. "We understand certain things better. Despite results, what this team is doing deserves a lot of credit. It's a moment to be proud and value what we have done.
Barcelona players celebrate during their 3-1 win over Napoli (Lluis Gene/AFP)"I am really happy. It was a complete performance tonight against the Italian champions, one of the best displays of the season. The team gave everything and we dominated for large parts of the game. We have shown that we are ready to compete in Europe again and are back among the top eight teams on the continent. I am really proud of the players, the youngsters, the veterans, everyone. It's a moment to enjoy."
Meanwhile, Napoli boss Francesco Calzona expressed his disappointment with his side's performance. "There is disappointment because we came here to try to win and we didn't succeed," he said. "We got off to a very bad start, if you concede so much to this team in the long run you lose it."
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