Jordi Alba Denies Sending Message To Xavi Following Sevilla Masterclass For FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona left back Jordi Alba denied sending a message to his manager Xavi Hernandez following a masterclass against Sevilla on Sunday night.

Taking the captain’s armband after Sergio Busquets left the match early with an injury, Alba was sensational in a 3-0 win at Camp Nou that put Barca eight points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.

A constant threat with endless dangerous crosses into the box, the 33-year-old deservedly opened the scoring against the Andalusians and then provided an assist for Raphinha for Barca’s third.

Interviewed post-match, however, Alba denied that his display had been a message to Xavi, who has recently dropped him in favor of La Masia product Alejandro Balde.

“I am not one to send messages,” Alba stressed. “When I play, I take advantage of the minutes and when I don’t, I dedicate myself to encouraging and helping young people so that they know what it is to play for this club,” he added, in a possible nod to the likes of Balde.

Balde replaced Alba near the end of the action. Receiving an ovation from a near 80,000 spectators, Alba made sure he gave the teenager an encouraging hug.

As for the match itself, Alba said that it was “difficult to find spaces” in the first half due to Sevilla’s defensive approach.

“But in the second, we understood the game better and the goals arrived,” he explained.

With Barca on course for a record-breaking 100-point campaign and what would be Alba’s sixth La Liga crown since joining 11 years ago, Alba couldn’t help but notice the gap between his team and Madrid despite there still being plenty of games ahead.

“We are having a very good season – playing well, pressing well, and getting our opponents to not give us chances,” he noted.

“There are eight points [between Barca and Madrid] and although there is a lot of league left, it is a very good distance.”

Led by Alba as captain, Barca’s next match takes place on the road at Villarreal on Sunday after the players have been rewarded with a couple of days off from Xavi.