Under pressure Barcelona boss Xavi says he has no intention of stepping down and insists they are "halfway to creating a great" team.
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Barcelona underperforming this seasonLost four of last nine matches Xavi not considering resigningWHAT HAPPENED?
Barca legend Xavi returned to his old club as manager in November 2021, amid a sea of financial troubles, but went onto lead them to La Liga title success last season, plus they won the Supercopa de Espana. In September, the Spanish giants extended his deal until 2025 but this campaign has not been so successful. While they have made it into the knockout stages of the Champions League this term, they have lost four of their last nine matches and sit seven points off top spot in the league. However, Xavi has called for unity, is shocked by talk of stepping down, and believes they can still be successful in 2023/24.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT XAVI SAID
When asked if his time as the club's manager had run its course, he replied: "No, no. At the end of the season, you look at where you are and what you have won. I am a positive person. We can still have a great season. Everything is still in play. Now is a moment for union and to believe more than ever in the project and these players. There is union with [sporting director] Deco, [president Joan] Laporta and [vice president] Rafa Yuste.
"We are halfway to creating a great Barca. It surprises me that at the first bump, people want to get off the boat. We have to all be united. The media [in Barcelona] are not. This lack of union in tough moments surprises me. Alarm bells always ring here when things don't go well, but we are halfway through the season. We don't learn. Last October it was the same and we had a good season.
"I don't understand it. I understand when we lose something. If we had [been] eliminated in the Champions League… I understood last season the noise, but not now. Now we are qualified for the next round [of the Champions League], which was the first goal this season. We are in the race in La Liga. We need more points and to improve and we must be self critical, of course, but we are in the race."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Xavi has done a good job at Barca amid some severe financial issues for the club. Ahead of the 2022-23 season, they were reportedly more than £1.2 billion ($1.6b) in debt and while that has come down, they are still having to be very careful with their finances. However, they are seven points behind league leaders Girona, who have a far smaller budget to play with, and Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are ahead of them, too. If results don't improve, Xavi's future at Camp Nou could be short as a club like Barca cannot tolerate a lack of success for long.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
Xavi's side, who lost 3-2 to Royal Antwerp in the Champions League this week, will hope to return to winning ways on Saturday when they travel to mid-table Valencia.