Xavi Hernandez’s announcement of his decision to leave FC Barcelona has generated varied responses from some of the most notable individuals in the world of football, with most of these individuals supporting Xavi for his good work at Barcelona.
It has been some weeks since that decision was announced, but the reactions from high-profile personalities are still coming in.
The latest to comment on this decision was the Spanish National Team coach, Luis de la Fuente. As SPORT has reported, the Spaniard believed that Xavi’s work in the last season was not valued enough by Barcelona:
“I understand Xavi’s situation on the Barcelona bench. He won the league and the Supercopa in his first year, which was extraordinary, but you can only win one, in football you lose much more than you win.”
“This year, Real Madrid and Girona are right there, they have been better. And Barcelona has had many injury problems and setbacks. Xavi has always been up to the task, he has shown great professionalism and great performance last year.”
De la Fuente explained how he can understand the pressure that Xavi had to endure at Barcelona because his own job as the Spanish National Team coach is also a very demanding one in this regard:
“In the national team, only excellence counts. The defeat to Scotland? I was criticized more than I could imagine, but well, it’s part of the job. Lately, I don’t read sports newspapers, listen to the radio, or watch TV programs. I’ve learned not to let myself be influenced.”
De la Fuente makes a very compelling point regarding Xavi and is right to point out that Xavi’s winning of the Super Cup and league in his first full season were impressive achievements.
However, the demands are always high at Barcelona, and this season’s performances would have resulted in another coach being shown the door even earlier, as Laporta himself explained in a recent interview.
