Xavi talks about Barca’s philosophy, the physical level of the team, Pedri’s injury, recent humiliations in Europe, Fan’s support, Pique’s availability, this season’s objectives, La Liga, team’s performance, and Clement Lenglet’s role in the team ahead of Barca vs Cadiz.
Best bits from Xavi’s press conference
Xavi on the Team’s overall morale:
“It was a shock because we wanted to win the Europa League. But we have to recover and back ourselves.”
Xavi on the playing style:
“We have to play the same way as we did at the Bernabeu, or vs Napoli.”
Xavi on the Fan’s support:
“We want our fans to come and cheer the team. What happened in the last game, cannot be repeated.”
Xavi on what happened against Frankfurt in the stands:
“An investigation has been opened, and I hope that suitable measures will be taken so it doesn’t happen again. As soon as the results of the investigation are announced, we will be informed of it, and the media as well. What happened is our fault.”
Xavi on the possibility of winning La Liga:
“There are 8 finals left for us.”
Xavi on Facing problems when playing against a back-five system:
“I think we played well against Levante and Frankfurt, but we missed out on dealing with the rebounds. We have to keep believing in what we are doing.”We beat teams that play this backline. Osasuna, for example. It’s about the spaces we find and our finishing. We had a lot of chances vs Frankfurt, but we did not take advantage of it.”
Xavi on Pedri’s injury:
“Without a doubt, he’s going through a tough time now. He’s been doing really well during the season. The most important thing for him is to recover from his injury, but what happened is part of the sport.”
Xavi on the performance in the last two games:
“I think we played well against Levante and Frankfurt, but we missed out on dealing with the rebounds. We have to keep believing in what we are doing.”
Xavi on this season’s objectives:
“Tomorrow is a new beginning to achieve our goal of reaching the Champions League. We have to be patient and do well.”
Xavi on the dressing room situation:
“We spoke with the team and discussed our strengths and weaknesses. I am still adamant that we are on the right track and that good results will come.”
Xavi on Pique’s injury:
“Pique’s injury? It’s more discomfort than an injury he’s suffered. There is nothing to worry about.”
Xavi on the competition in La Liga:
“We will face complicated teams in the league. Tomorrow it is Cadiz, and then we have Real Sociedad and then Rayo Vallecano who are fighting relegation. There are tough weeks ahead, and we have to compete.”
Xavi on the game between Real Madrid and Sevilla:
“Real Madrid or Sevilla? I will watch the game today, but I would prefer to analyze the level of Cadiz.”
Xavi on recent humiliations in Europe:
“We haven’t competed as well as we should have in Europe in recent years. We have to go back to competing at the top level again.”
Xavi on the achievements so far:
“We are still fighting for the league, even though it is difficult. I told the players that they should be proud of what they are doing. We also always explain to them what they are doing wrong and how to improve.”
Xavi on Real Madrid’s match against Sevilla:
“What if Real Madrid loses today? We have to win before we see the results of our opponents. We have to keep working, and our first goal is to qualify for the Champions League.”
Xavi on conceding early goals:
“We have to improve in the way we start matches. When we concede goals, things get more complicated for us.”
Xavi on conceding too many goals:
“We have conceded 55 goals in 45 games? We have to improve and train well. We must play with a high line of defense. In the past, we have conceded goals because we have lost the ball in bad areas.”
Xavi on the match against Frankfurt:
“I had a bad feeling after being in the hotel before the Frankfurt game. There were people throwing things at us, then we had to enter the stadium from a different gate. Then they got an early goal. We had bad feelings.”
Xavi on the environment of Camp Nou against Frankfurt:
“Barça fans supported us in past and even encouraged us when we conceded a goal. That did not happen in the last match.”
Xavi on if he has to start Lenglet:
“I believe in Lenglet. I see him as a guarantee in our defense.”
Xavi on the physical level of the team:
“I don’t think we are struggling from a physical point of view. We lose the ball badly, and we give the opponents an opportunity to play the rebounds. We must prevent this.”
Xavi on Barca DNA:
“With the Barca DNA, we have won 5 Champions Leagues. We are not going to change our philosophy of playing football after one loss.”
Xavi on Barcelona’s philosophy:
“We have lost the Barcelona philosophy in the past years, and we have to get it back.”
That concludes Xavi’s pre-match press conference.
Barca vs Cadiz: Squad List
