Xavi spoke about facing Man UTD in the Uefa Europa League, Cristiano’s decline, Osasuna’s challenge, Dembele’s inconsistency, Araujo’s participation in WC, and the departure of Gerard Pique in his pre-match press conference.
Xavi on facing Man UTD in Europa League:
“Once again we face the toughest opponent in the draw and we have to compete well. Manchester United is a great team and have improved a lot with Ten Hag in charge. They have a lot of individual talent & potential. Our players will be motivated to perform against Manchester United.”
Xavi on facing Osasuna:
“Tomorrow we face a team that plays very hard and they’re an opponent that plays very well, they have won several points at home, we know it will be a difficult match and we want to get 3 points.”
“Tomorrow, we will try to give everything we have. It is an important match and we know it will be a difficult match because Osasuna is a strong and physical team.”
Xavi on Araujo’s participation in the WC:
“We are in contact with all the federations, we will make a joint decision on the matter regarding Araujo, and the most important thing is that the player recovers well.”
Xavi on Pique’s availability against Osasuna:
“Piqué will be available for tomorrow’s game, we will see.”
Xavi on Cristiano Ronaldo:
“Cristiano is a great player, he has been one of the best players and he can definitely make the difference for Man UTD.”
Xavi on Kounde and Memphis:
“Kounde and Memphis suffer from discomfort, but there is NO danger to their World Cup.”
Xavi on facing Mourinho or Man UTD:
“What I care about is winning no matter who the opponent is. I’m a winner and I hate losing. I like to win with the club that I love so much.”
Xavi on Raphinha:
“Raphinha has complete confidence, there have been times when things are not the way we want them to be but we have to persist, we believe in him a lot.”
Xavi on Dembele:
“Dembele makes the difference in many games, his numbers have improved significantly since we have been here but he lacks consistency, he must improve it because we know that with a talent like his he can be the BEST in the world in his position.”
Xavi on the impact of Pique’s departure:
“Everyone has a leadership role in the team. We will miss Pique, but I don’t see any issues. Whenever a leader leaves, roles are reorganized within the team.”
That concluded Xavi’s pre-match press conference.
