Under Fire FC Barcelona Boss Xavi Receives Backing From Deco

Under fire FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has received backing to continue in the role from his former teammate and now sporting director Deco, during an interview with local newspaper SPORT.

Following two defeats in three matches, Xavi was criticised for the first time in the hot seat which he took from another club legend Ronald Koeman in November 2021.

Barca got back to winning ways with a 2-1 comeback victory against Alaves in La Liga on Sunday, and Xavi used interviews after the fixture to say that the noise from the media that covers the Blaugrana had played a part in his men suffering a downturn in form.

This hasn’t been taken well by many pundits and football fans in Spain, but Xavi still has support behind the scenes according to Deco, who played alongside the iconic number 6 in the early 2000s.

Asked if, like Xavi, he believes the “entorno” or environment that surrounds the club is harming the men’s first team, Deco told SPORT: “I think Xavi has been self-critical and maybe the entorno conditions the team, especially the young players.

“We know what the entorno is like and more than anyone else, he has grown. I don’t think he was having a go at the press. The players must know how to distance themselves from criticism, but we must not forget that we are talking about very young players in some cases.

“Xavi wanted to say that this (the criticism) sometimes conditions [them], but he didn’t want to use it as an excuse. It takes a little more patience and not just looking at everything that is negative.

Probed on whether Xavi is the best coach for the current sporting project at the Montjuic Stadium, Deco was affirmative.

“Absolutely,” Deco said. “He’s the coach who agreed to come at an important time to build what we’re building. He has been through many difficulties and is still learning.

“Surely he, more than anyone, wants to play better. He’s been a midfielder, like me, and we always want to play well.

“Xavi knows the responsibility he has, he knows that when we’re not playing well, it’s hard. Both for him and everyone else. He knows exactly what he has to do,” Deco added.