When Xavi Hernández landed on the Barcelona bench in November 2021, his Barça were ninth in the League with 16 points. And, although he never regretted having returned home, it is equally true that the footballing and financial void he found himself in, starting with the players themselves in the squad and continuing with the lack of budget to sign, was be disconcerting.
A year and a half after his return as coach, Xavi can already smell the League, the tournament of regularity, to which he has always paid full attention. With him, Barça will not reach 100 points, but it is supported by another type of values, such as its historical defensive reliability (24 goals to zero, a club record). The one in Terrassa is breathing more calmly while the offices are already talking about renewing it beyond 2024. "Now I'm having fun, especially since January", confessed the coach yesterday, which he made clear in the antechamber of the match against Osasuna that the victory against Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup was a turning point. "But we need to win the League. The club, the coaching staff, the players..., we all want it", stressed a Xavi who has already taken out the calculator.
Eight points in six days are what the Blaugrana team needs to add to mathematically seal the championship. That or beat Osasuna, who have their head in the Cup, and wait for a sting from Real Madrid in Anoeta. In this case, the League could be decided on May 14 at the RCDE Stadium against a Spanish team that is fighting for permanence. "We want to win it as soon as possible. What falls in Cornellà we can't choose", stressed a Xavique has also learned to fight against criticism. Faced with the voices that try to discredit the validity of the imminent conquest, Xavi also has an answer. "It won't be a miracle to win this League, we competed very well", he pointed out.
But there is something more. "We are still building", recalled Xavi, who, beyond winning the domestic championship, wants to end the season with a good taste in the footballing aspect. There are still things to improve, such as Barça's performance in the knockout tournaments or offensive force. "Even though we win the League, the remaining matches will be important", expressed Xavi in a clear message to his players to continue to demonstrate their abilities before facing a summer that Mateu Alemany, football director, cataloged "interesting".
The long-term goal is to compete again for everything; starting with the League and continuing with Europe. Personally, Xavi is clear about the model to follow. "Manchester City is the best team in the world. They are our mirror. They also have the best coach in the world", he pointed out in reference to Pep Guardiola.
And what does his Barça have?, he was asked. "There are no individualities above anyone else. We have been a block, a team, a family", summed up Xavi. In this process, the coach has given debuts to eleven footballers. The last one, Lamine Yamal, is the youngest. And Xavi believes that he will have no problems managing the career of the 15-year-old winger, who is almost ready for his first contract as a professional footballer, as he turns 16 on July 13. "I don't see fear on Lamine Yamal's face. He has his mind set on succeeding at Barça, just like Balde or Gavi", said Xavi.
Before moving on to the chapter on renewals and signings, the future League champions face the aspiring Copa del Rey champions today. "This Saturday against Madrid, they have the most important match in their history", said Xavi. When asked who he prefers to win the cup tournament, he flashed a wry smile. "What do you think?", he answered. Without saying anything, he said it all.
