Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has been clear that he does not fear the sack before the end of the season, when he has already announced he will leave. Since that decision, Barcelona have looked far from inspiring, drawing 3-3 at home with relegation-threatened Granada.
There has been some suggestion that if results do not improve, then President Joan Laporta may be forced to replace Xavi before the end of the season, as their top four place comes under threat. Financially, Barcelona are also desperate to get past Napoli in the Champions League.
“My perception is positive. If not, I wouldn’t be here anymore. I think that the players, beyond the misfortune of the game against Granada, reacted. The president sees it that way. I have all the confidence of the president and Deco. And the commitment of the players excites me.”
“That doesn’t mean we’re going to win the Champions League. But we’re going to compete and see how far we get,” Xavi told the media ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Celta Vigo.
He was even more assertive on the idea of Gavi exiting the club, following reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
“Gavi must stay. He is a cule and has to be one of the captains of the team. There is no room for debate. We will make an exception for Gavi because he is injured but we should talk about the present, about the games we have, not the future. Gavi is the Barca of the future.”
The 19-year-old was cruelly ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury that is likely to keep him out of the Euros too. The good news for Xavi is that Gavi is not entertaining any interest from PSG according to the latest coming out of the Catalan capital.
