The win against Napoli last night was a significant achievement for this FC Barcelona team, and it will have impacts on the team beyond just getting them into the Champions League quarter-finals.
For instance, the players’ morale will receive a significant boost with this achievement, while Xavi will also get a lot of relief with this win.
In addition to the victory, Xavi was also very happy with how his team had performed in the match, as he shared his feelings with the media after the match. As SPORT has reported, the Barcelona head coach once again mentioned the impact that his announcement to leave the club at the end of the season is having on the team:
“Absolutely thrilled, we played a complete great game, the team emptied themselves on the field. We dominated many moments, the team fought hard. I said my players would step up with my decision. After four years, we’re among the top eight teams in Europe.”
“People didn’t believe me, they said I would lose the locker room, that they wouldn’t step up. We’ve received a lot of unfair criticism.”
Overall, Xavi was very satisfied with the way his team had performed in this match: “Very good game, the team performed well both with and without the ball, aggressive, we came close to excellence. It’s not a coincidence, 3-1 against a great rival, and the fans enjoyed it.”
Pau Cubarsi was once again instrumental in the match against Napoli and was also awarded the MVP award for his performance. Xavi was also lavish in his praise for the promising defender:
“Pau doesn’t get nervous, he has a very calm personality. His ball distribution is incredible, he always finds the free man, he has that pause, that timing. Many links with midfielders and forwards come from him. It’s a spectacle.”
Having proved his critics wrong with his Champions League journey up to now, Xavi had some sharp questions to ask these media critics:
“Players are being pressed too much. Today seemed like a flip of a coin, an ultimatum, a make-or-break situation. I told them no one was going to die. It was said that we were the jester of the Champions League. Journalists who claim to represent Barcelona. What do we do now with the jester of the Champions League?”
However, despite this achievement, Xavi was not in any mood to reconsider his decision to leave the club at the end of the season:
“You were saying that if I lost today, I’d be out on the street, that’s what you wrote. Will I continue? Calm down, today we made it to the quarterfinals. I’ve already said what I had to say.”
