It had to be a magical night. Of enthusiasm, goals and desire to continue in the Champions League. The opposite happened. Xavi ended up angry. Indignant. Disappointed and very disappointed with the tie that his team signed against Inter Milan. And with very little hope that his Barcelona can advance in this Champions League. “Football is a game of mistakes. Last year I had the feeling that we were not there. But now it is not the case. We have made mistakes and we have paid dearly for them. You can't forgive so much in the Champions League. This edition has been very cruel to us”, said the coach.
In a more generic diagnosis of this eventful group stage for Barça, Xavi pointed out that “in Munich we lacked effectiveness. In Milan other reasons affected us (he said referring to the referees) and at the Camp Nou against Inter the defensive errors have taken their toll on us. They cannot be allowed. In football it is about not conceding. If you don't beat Inter at home, you don't deserve to continue in this competition. This year it hurts more than the previous season”, stated Xavi.
Asked who was responsible for the tie, Xavi did not hesitate to protect his team. “If Piqué or Busquets or any other fails, it is my responsibility as a coach. If people don't come out activated, it's also my mistake."
The coach from Egar did not try to find excuses. "We can talk about injuries or the break, but if you have the game in your hands... this year there is an improvement but our reality is mistakes, we are in a process that in Europe is perhaps longer than we thought," he added.
And now? “Well, we have to think about Real Madrid and the Clásico. You have to make a good recovery to go to the Bernabeu and try to win. The season is still very long”, stated Xavi.
