Xavi is under pressure at Camp Nou, but insists he is not considering leaving Barcelona after suffering defeats to Girona and Antwerp in the past week.
A quick glance at the La Liga table will tell you Barcelona have underperformed this season. They currently sit fourth and they’re seven points behind leaders Girona, while Real Madrid are in second place with five more points.
Speaking to the media before Saturday’s clash with Valencia, Xavi had to answer a flurry of questions about his future and the mood at the club.
“Everything is fine, I’m positive and very excited,” Xavi said, as per The Athletic. “We can have a great season. I believe in the project and in the players. The union with (sporting director) Deco, (club president Joan) Laporta and the dressing room is really strong.
“I get messages as if it’s a funeral, as if my mother or father died. They didn’t congratulate me when we finished top of the group (in the Champions League).”
The former midfield ace made reference to former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and how the journalists recently asked him if he was becoming Barca’s equivalent to the greatest manager of all-time.
Xavi added: “A month ago they were telling me I could be Barcelona’s (Sir Alex) Ferguson and now I could be fired… The club needs stability. We are a winning project and we can’t fall into a deep depression every time there is decline.”
Although Xavi is talking about Barca (not United), we could say the same about everything there’s decline at United.
Erik ten Hag is under lots of pressure at the moment and people seem quick to forget about all the progress he made last season.
This also gives us a taste of how quick the Spanish press can turn on football managers. Xavi has done a good job at Barca, considering where they were, and it would be madness if they fired him after a few bumps in the road.
Hopefully Barca don’t go ahead and fire Xavi because I’m sure they would be interested in talking to Ten Hag. That’s not something I want to think too much about.
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