Xavi Hernández completed 100 games on the Barcelona bench in Porto. He did it by winning but suffering a lot the last half hour. The Blaugrana team is undefeated in the ten games they have played, something that other European greats such as Bayern, City, Arsenal, PSG, Inter, Milan... Nor can Madrid or Atlético. However, Do Dragão's 0-1 left mixed feelings and Xavi understands the debate but with nuances. “Our DNA is to play well. With the ball we were not good and without the ball we were very good. It is understood that there is debate outside. At Barça it is not enough to just win,” defended Xavi.
It is not the first time he has said it, nor will it be the last because the man from Terrassa truly believes it. “This is the most difficult club in the world and anyone who says otherwise has not been here. We are required to win, play well, have good feelings and for everything to be perfect,” he recalled.
For all this, the Barcelona coach was critical of the Barcelona environment, very prone to attacking his own players. “The Barça environment has a tremendous capacity to undervalue everything. A footballer who is an eight is left at a six. One who is a ten remains an eight. The players have to be very strong mentally. That doesn't happen in other clubs. We try to give them confidence,” he explained. He usually spends time with De Jong, the target of a certain sector. “Frenkie is one of the best midfielders in the world. And he is when he trains. That's why some are surprised: they see him training and think: why is he so criticized?
The Dutchman is one of the four major injuries that Barça has, along with Pedri, Raphinha and Lewandowski, the last to fall, in Portugal. "We have injuries but it is not a plague. The squad is shorter than long and it seems that it shows more. We played in Granada and then we rested for 15 days. We are going to try to recover as many as possible," he said, with his head on the classic on October 28. Although the coach wanted to clarify that he is not worried: "We have had the bad luck of two ankles, which are things that don't happen."
In Granada, Xavi is left without his starting center forward, author of 39 since the summer of 2022 arrived. “Robert generates a little fear and respect in the rival, he fixes the center backs, they are very attentive. He is a sensitive casualty. He is our scorer, reference and leader. “It is difficult to replace a world-class striker like him,” he said. In that sense, Pau Víctor and Marc Guiu join the first team.
Even so, the Terrassa coach wants to add the three points at Nuevo Los Cármenes. Above all to win calmly. “If we win there will be peace of mind, regardless of whether we are leaders. We will have done good numbers at the start of the season. Leadership is important but it is not transcendental.”
Finally, Xavi referred to the 2030 World Cup, initially awarded to Spain, but which will be played on three continents. "It's amazing. It is not a normal format but they have thought it is the best,” analyzed one of the heroes of South Africa 2010. He, who has been in four World Cups, does not rule out a final in Barcelona. “Perhaps the Camp Nou is the stadium with the greatest capacity in the Spanish state. So why not?” He left it in the air.
