Barcelona were euphoric after finally ending a four-year drought from the Champions League quarter-finals, beating Napoli 3-1 on Tuesday night. Manager Xavi Hernandez had earned the praise of the media, but used his post-match press conference to go after the press.
“There is too much pressure on the players. Today it seemed like a heads or tails, an ultimatum, a heads or tails. I told them that no-one was going to die. It was even said that we were the fool of the Champions League. Journalists who say they represent Barcelona. What will we do now with the fool of Europe?”
Xavi: "Whether or not it's possible for me to stay? Today nothing has changed. If we lost, I would be on the street… Today is one of the best moments as a Barça coach, but today nothing changes. Calm down, calm down… It's time to enjoy."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 12, 2024
Xavi has also fervently maintained that his decision to announce his departure at the end of the season has been the correct one.
“People didn’t believe me, they said I was going to lose the dressing room, that they wouldn’t take a step forward. We have received a lot of unfair criticism.”
Xavi Hernandez's comments last night about journalists coverage was not coincidental when he referred to #FCBarcelona as 'the fool of Europe'.
He had a conversation with journalist Ramon Besa about the phrase.https://t.co/epSbLveM1v
— Football España (@footballespana_) March 13, 2024
Meanwhile on Cadena SER after the match, El Pais journalist Ramon Besa explained what was behind Xavi Hernandez’s comments. After the Blaugrana were defeated by Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage, Besa’s article was published with the title ‘Barcelona beaten by Shakhtar, are the fool of Europe’.
“Xavi’s words did not surprise me. I already had a dialogue with him through WhatsApp, not direct. Xavi himself sent me the article by phone. ‘He told me that I had bad intentions, that from time to time it came out.”
“I responded that had he read the article correctly because when I was referring to the fool of Europe I was not referring to Xavi’s team but to Barca, with I don’t know how many defeats in Europe, 2-8… They lost to Antwerp and with Shakhtar Donetsk. We can argue about the adjective, whether it can be a fool, the black sheep, or whatever you want. I can make a mistake with an adjective and I accept it. But I don’t accept what he told me that I write in bad faith. There was a warning that it was a much more complex situation than being just about a qualifying adjective.”
“You can argue about that and not about whether I have bad intentions. I am 65 years old and I’ve written articles, match reports, and all of sudden out of the blue I appear as a person with bad faith…”
He continued on to say that it had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“If this is kept on WhatsApp, it does not need to be said in a press conference after this match. Barca are in the quarterfinals, it is not like they have won the Champions League. In that dialogue I told him that I hope he wins the Champions League. Why did he say it now? I accept it. I will get abuse on social media and he will be resting. If this helps you to be at peace with yourself, that’s fine with me, I already am at peace with myself. I am demanding and accept the criticism. I also know how to distinguish between an adjective and a person who is going after you. That leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.”
