FC Barcelona are all set for the defense of their La Liga title, as they kick off the league campaign with a match against Jose Bordalas’s Getafe at the Coliseum Alonso Perez. This will be Xavi’s second full season in charge of the Catalans, and he will be looking to build on the domestic successes of the last season.
Ahead of the game against Getafe, Xavi Hernandez held a pre-match conference in which he touched upon different matters related to the club, with the highlights being his comments on the departure of Ousmane Dembele, Neymar, Fati, and Roque. Here are the 10 best bits of Xavi’s media talk as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
- Xavi on Dembele:
“He has been a good boy, he has helped us, we have given him affection and importance. It has been a big disappointment that he has decided to leave.”
“It has been disappointing, but he chose another project. Wishing him luck. This goes on, this continues, and there is no need to talk about Dembele anymore.”
- Xavi on Ansu Fati:
“I’m delighted with Ansu, he’s a player of the present and the future. I can’t say he will stay because maybe later he can’t stay. From here on, we will decide until August 31st.”
- Xavi on Neymar:
“I can’t reveal anything about the market situation. The transfer window is open, for better or for worse, until August 31st. We are working hard to register players. We haven’t decided anything else, there’s nothing to announce.”
- Xavi on Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal:
“They made a difference. They can do it, we believe they are capable of making a difference and getting playing time. The players determine their own roles.”
“Lamine is mature, makes a difference, has a goal-scoring ability… for now, he’s doing everything right, regardless of his age. Lamine could be important despite being 16 years old.”
- Xavi on Araujo and Christensen’s availability:
“Araujo and Christensen should be available. They had some discomfort, but if everything goes well, they will be available.”
- Xavi on Vitor Roque:
“Regarding Vitor Roque, the sports department is working with the player and his club, but the plan is for him to come here in January 2024 as was contractually agreed.”
- Xavi on Marcos Alonso:
“I can tell you the same thing I said about Ansu or anyone else, and you might say I’m not being firm enough. The transfer window is open until August 31st, and everything is open, anything can happen.”
- Xavi on his game plan against Getafe:
“There are good players in one-on-one situations, like Abde, Balde, Rafa, Ferran, Ansu… there are many players to have a range of possibilities, but we need both things, interior play, and wide attacks. Against teams that defend deep, we need mobility and a lot of presence in the box.”
Xavi on Jose Bordalas:
“Football has changed. It has become more physical, but our DNA remains the same. We have a clear way to counteract, and that’s with the ball. It will be challenging against Getafe, for sure. Getafe under Bordalás is always very tough.”
- Xavi on facing Getafe CF:
“We are up against a tough opponent, and we expect a five-man defensive line. It will be challenging, but we will try to impose our game and our pace. From the beginning, we need to showcase our best version.”
