Xavi’s Two Phrases Which Derailed FC Barcelona’s Season

Xavi Hernandez demotivated his players and derailed FC Barcelona’s season with these two poorly-transmitted phrases.

The club’s second all-time appearances leader has managed to lift the Blaugrana from ninth to second in La Liga since taking over from Ronald Koeman in November -though some point to his inferior win percentage as proof that he hasn’t quite overhauled the team in the manner some would have you believe despite encouraging signs such as the 4-0 destruction of Real Madrid in El Clasico before the international break.

Still the coach is finding his feet in elite football management, and though he deserves credit not only for improving Barca’s position and pretty much guaranteeing Champions League football next term, plus excellent individual man-management as seen in Ousmane Dembele’s case, local media have pointed out two phrases that were harmful to his charges overall prior to Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Rayo Vallecano.

“I have made a mistake as a coach” Xavi admitted post-loss in addition to “I have not known how to motivate the players”.

But in a colorful pre-match press conference where Xavi was pressed on the future of Frenkie de Jong and poor results as of late that have seen Barca lose three of their last four fixtures and three on the bounce at Camp Nou for the first time in club history, Xavi arguably demotivated his charges himself with his choice of words.

As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Xavi firstly revealed that when he succeeded Koeman, president Joan Laporta told him that “the objective of the season was to qualify for the Champions League”.

Therefore some 12-15 points behind Madrid in the title race, Barca’s stars rested on their laurels when finding themselves already in second with a game in hand while fifth-placed Real Betis were two wins off the chase.

MD also didn’t like Xavi reminding the world and the squad that the club is in the “post-Messi era” and has to be “very patient”, finding it out of sync with his usual “positive, ambitious and perfectionist mood”.

With just five matches to spare in another campaign to forget, it is now a case of sealing entry to club football’s most coveted competition and then starting from scratch in the summer with fresh minds and legs.