Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has once again spoken about the pressure he is under in the job, admitting that he gets only brief enjoyment in the role. This time he compared himself with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
It’s an uncomfortable fact that these days Spain’s two biggest clubs have more in common than not, and this week Carlo Ancelotti admitted that he suffers far more than he enjoys himself in the role as a result of the pressure.
Given Barcelona have set their budgets based on reaching the Champions League quarter-finals, and they must defeat Napoli in order to get there, Xavi was asked if he was feeling the pressure due to the financial aspect as much as the competitive pressure.
“Barca always puts pressure on you. Imagine the maximum pressure that you have experienced in life, because that is what it feels like to coach Barca every day. The other day Ancelotti said that he does not enjoy himself, that he suffers, and this is the what I’ve been saying for the last few months. You enjoy little and suffer a lot. It’s normal, it’s Barca.”
Barcelona will miss out on over €10m if they do not make it past the Italians, and already they are set to miss their budget projection, as they look to find €40m that has gone unpaid from the sale of a percentage of Barca Vision.
Xavi: “We can try Felix, Ferran, Raphinha and Roberto. But they are not real midfielders.”
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 7, 2024
Xavi was also asked if the pressure could have got to Fermin Lopez, who came on against Athletic Club last weekend, and finished the game disconsolate.
“I don’t think so, especially in Fermin. He is very much a perfectionist. He wants to do things excellently, he puts a lot on himself, and I imagine that he would not be happy in San Mames [because of the defeat] and that is normal, because he was not happy with his performance either. Moreover, we trust him and he has the quality for the Barca first team.”
