Few people know the Barcelona environment like Xavi Hernández. There is no middle ground in a cyclothymic club. And the coach, after analyzing the match against Mallorca (2-2), explained that we should not fall into alarmism for having lost the leadership of the League. “In this house a tie is an alarm. We didn't have a bad game in Mallorca,” he stressed. For this reason, he considers it important to beat Sevilla in Montjuïc. “We need to return to good feelings and victory”
The Barça coach wanted to remember that you cannot go from heaven to hell in two games. “After beating Betis and Antwerp it seemed like everything was perfect and it wasn't. And now not everything is bad either,” he defended.
Xavi made it clear that he does not agree with the analysis that the five defenders, as a rule, choke his team. “I don't agree that it was difficult for us because of Mallorca's defense of five since we generated six very clear chances. “Defensive concentration failed.” And he pointed out that he was not referring to the goalkeeper or the defense. “The whole team must be more focused, not want to concede goals and be more attentive and with all five senses, all of them,” he claimed.
The Barça coach could not have been more graphic when he assured that the team must be more like the one that won the League 22-23, leaving a clean sheet in 26 games. “We have improved in attack but we have to maintain the defensive solidity of last year,” he stated as his duties. But he was categorical in assuring that he will continue to shake up the lineups. "The rotations are super necessary. You don't tie because of the rotations."
Xavi publicly congratulated Girona, which has risen to the lead on matchday seven. “We love that Eric Garcia is playing and even scoring goals. The Girona thing has a lot of merit. I don't see it as a surprise, they have been working with the same style for many years and when they came down they didn't hesitate. It is not a coincidence,” he conceded.
To beat Sevilla, Barcelona has up its sleeve to use Lamine Yamal as a starter, who has been a substitute in the last four games. The coach attributes it to minute management. “He is 16 years old and it often shows in his efforts. In football you don't play just like the ball, you have to follow the side... That's why you have to take care of the minutes and moments of the games in which he plays," he pointed out.
Where Xavi did not want to enter was in the accusation of FC Barcelona for a possible crime of bribery. “You already know my opinion of the Negreira case. Pull the newspaper library. I have never had the feeling that the referees have benefited us. Today this came out, next week there will be another news story about the Negreira case, and within 15 days and a month others will come out. I have little time and I use it to prepare for the games, analyze the Mallorca game and think about the Sevilla game.”
