Getafe star aims dig at Barcelona boss Xavi ahead of La Liga clash: “Things you say when you don’t win”

Speaking in an interview with COPE, Getafe defender Juan Iglesias fired shots at Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez before their La Liga encounter later this week.

Barça face off against Getafe on Saturday afternoon at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, hoping to cut down the gap to the top two teams in the table – Real Madrid and Girona.

Getafe have not been the easiest opponent for Xavi, with his Barcelona side having failed to beat Jose Bordalas’ men in three of their last four meetings, including the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Juan Iglesias mocks Xavi over ‘sun and pitch’ statements

Before that, Getafe had managed to hold Barcelona to a goalless draw at Coliseum Alfonso Perez in April last year, following which Xavi had claimed that his players were hindered by the pitch and the sun on the day.

“It has hurt us, but we already knew it. Yesterday we trained with a dry field in Barcelona because we knew about this situation,” the Barcelona head coach had said (h/t GOAL).

“We are used to playing without sun and used to playing at night. It is another piece of evidence. We also train to play on dry grass.”

Taking a shot at Xavi for those statements, Iglesias claimed that those are excuses the Barcelona manager concocted after failing to win the game, while also offering him his advice on the grass and pitch.

“When I heard about the sun I laughed, in the end these are things you say when you don’t win,” the right-back stated.

“If Xavi wants to ask me for advice on the pitch, I’d be happy to give it to him,” he added.

On Ronald Araujo’s denied penalty

Juan Iglesias also commented on a controversial moment from Getafe’s goalless draw against Barcelona earlier this season when the Catalans were denied a penalty for a potential foul on Ronald Araujo.

While there was contact between Iglesias and Araujo inside the penalty box, the referee and VAR did not award a spot-kick due to a handball by Gavi.

On the topic, the Getafe defender said: “It can happen to a defender when clearing, there was contact, but I don’t think it was enough for him to throw himself to the ground and stay there. When the referee pointed to the handball I thought the season was going to go well.”