The clash against Napoli saw FC Barcelona emerge victorious with a convincing scoreline. A 3-1 victory is what it took for La Blaugrana to finally overcome their European opponents from Italy. Beyond just the victory for Barcelona as a team, however, the game also has other repercussions.
One of the big stories heading into the Napoli clash was the potential future of Xavi Hernandez. The Barcelona coach was slowly losing the faith of the club’s hierarchy and community, and the game against their opponents from the Serie A was reportedly going to be quite crucial in terms of his continuity, even in the short-term.
Now, after a valiant victory for FC Barcelona, it seems that voices are beginning to rally behind Xavi once again. The latest and most prominent of those voices for now belongs to none other than Rafa Yuste, the vice president of FC Barcelona.
Following the match, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, he publicly declared his liking for the current Barça coach while talking about his continuity: “I respect Xavi and his decision. He knows what I think, and we’ll see what happens. I really like Xavi Hernández.”
Such words will likely boost the confidence of not just Xavi, but also the Barcelona team. The season is not yet over, and the team needs to rally behind their coach more than ever. For now, the summer can wait, but the ongoing campaign is crucial for Barcelona to end on a high note.
While the coach has himself declared his intentions to leave at the end of the season, nothing is in writing yet. Until and unless an official announcement from the club comes around, Xavi is still legally contracted to Barcelona beyond the summer window.
In terms of his tactical approach, Xavi had everything done right against Napoli. More importantly, his team also implemented his tactics precisely and ensured that no blunders caused an unwanted fallout. Now within the elite eight of Europe’s premiere competition, Barcelona and Xavi have their hope rekindled.