FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has admitted that he is worried after his team’s latest limp … [+]
FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has admitted he is “worried” after his team lost their second game on the trot and fourth in nine outings against Royal Antwerp on Wednesday.
The Catalans equalized twice but still ended up losing 3-2 in injury time to the bottom-placed outfit in Group H.
Though many Culers and pundits wouldn’t have been too concerned about a defeat given that Xavi fielded a second string team, the manner in which Barca played caused alarm and has ushered in talk of a crisis engulfing the club.
“Yes, I’m worried,” Xavi confirmed at full time. “It is normal.”
“The team isn’t feeling comfortable. We have had a bad streak of negative results. We have to be critical. The opposition is generating a lot [of chances against] us and it is costing us too much. The positive point is that we are in the round of 16,” he added.
Probed on his dismal away record in the Champions League which has seen his side victorious in just two out of seven road trips, Xavi said that the competition is “hard for everybody”.
“We’re coming off a difficult few years for the club, but now we’re in the round of 16, which was one of the goals we set at the start of the season.
“On Monday we will be in the draw and top of the group, so we have to congratulate the team, who have done their homework. However, we need to get back to [playing] good football,” Xavi demanded.
With Oriol Romeu at fault for the first couple of Antwerp goals, Xavi refused to accept he made a mistake by starting the rusty ex-Girona man in midfield despite his lack of minutes as of late.
“We have to give him confidence. He started well, but he didn’t have his best day today just like the rest of the team. We have to encourage him, he’s got a lot of quality,” Xavi stressed.
Now it remains to be seen if Barca can recover the “good football” Xavi wishes to see against Valencia on Saturday, or fall even further into a slump as 2023 draws to a close.
