There’s no doubt that Barcelona are in the midst of a very difficult moment. Sunday’s humiliating defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup was a very dark moment for the Catalans, and it has been reported that head coach Xavi Hernandez’s job could be on the line.
For now at least, Xavi will remain in charge, as he continues to have the backing of Joan Laporta. Another person that has the 43-year-old back is Pep Guardiola, former Barcelona manager and current head coach of Manchester City.
Speaking after collecting the award for 2023 Coach of the Year (via MD), Guardiola backed Xavi to turn things around, while also calling on the Barcelona squad to improve.
“It is easy to blame the coach, but the players have to step up. There is no secret, they are the ones who play. Not everything is the coach’s fault. The players have to take a step forward, if the coach stays until the end, the players have to show their quality, they have done it many times and will do it again.”
There’s little doubt that a big reaction is needed from Barcelona, and they will hope that it comes next weekend when they travel to take on Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin.
