The Barcelona coach was blunt in his response to the racism that took place on Sunday at the Mestalla. “Unfortunately there are still cases of racism and it is a shame. That it happens in 2023 is unfortunate. Here there are no shields, it is only worth condemning any act of racism”, reflected Xavi Hernández, who believes that the time has come to take more drastic measures. “It seems that we are not moving forward. You have to get tough to eradicate racism once and for all.”
The coach presented his proposal to suspend the matches immediately when these episodes occur. "You have to stop the game. We have to stop this. It is a matter of education. I don't care about the shield or the shirt, be it Vinícius or Eto'o ”, he said in reference to the Cameroonian, who in 2006 wanted to leave La Romareda, in a match against Zaragoza. “You have to stop with the insults. An insult, well, everyone home, ”he sentenced.
“It doesn't matter the shirt, Vinícius is a person. Before being a Madrid footballer, he is a person. You have to defend the football professional. I hope this serves to have a before and after. Why do you have to put up with insults when you're working?” he wondered.
Because Xavi thinks that insults have been normalized in football, something that doesn't happen in other sports. “In basketball it happens much less. In tennis or golf, the public is quiet when they go to play because the athletes are focused”. On the other hand, in football people go to the stadiums and don't behave.
For this reason, he even addressed Javier Tebas to take action on the matter. “I am working in the field. And the insult has been normalized. I don't see any worker or baker suffering from this. It is a message for the president of LaLiga: You have to prevail. You go to insult a worker. Maybe a brick falls on you. An insult: the game stops. It's time to say enough is enough."
In his opinion it is a clear problem of football and not of the whole country. “I don't think it can be said that Spain is racist or that the League is. There are episodes. It is very difficult to be an example for society, as we are asked to do, if they are insulting you, that is what happens to Vinícius. But Spain is not racist ”, he reflected on the attitude and the complaint of the Brazilian.
After losing against Real, Xavi wanted to reassure Espanyol after the chants that were heard at the Camp Nou by the cheerleaders, so that they would not beat Valladolid. “That is a matter of fanaticism and rivalry. Let no one have any doubt that we want to win. We no longer liked losing against Real Sociedad. We risk the prestige and image of Barcelona, ”he recalled.
The coach recovers Gavi, after serving his suspension, but loses Koundé, who was substituted at half-time against Real Sociedad. The Frenchman joins the casualties of Araújo and Pedri. But above all he already thinks about the future and the market. "It is evidence that we need a high-level defensive pivot because a capital footballer is leaving, the captain, a very differential player," he said about taking over from Busquets. On the other hand, the return of Messi, "depends on many things." "It is in the air. We'll see if it can happen. It also depends on the intention that Leo has, ”he finished.
