BARCELONA, 17 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona’s coach, since he believes that the match, which ended 1-4, was completely changed by having to play ten against eleven, something that he sees as “impossible” at these levels, in a Champions League quarter-final match.
“I will try to speak calmly and reflectively. Playing at this level today, playing ten against eleven, is practically impossible. You give a lot of advantage to the team that continues with one more. For me, expulsion is unnecessary. The tie is blown up and that’s it. football and an even and beautiful tie,” he said at a press conference.
For Xavi, his team used “pride and character” to try to take the duel to extra time. “We had some option in the end, but it’s almost impossible. For me, things would have been different if Ronald was going to stop him, to block him, but that’s not it, if Ronald wanted to move away. It’s angry,” he said, regarding the expulsion of the center.
“With eleven we have been comfortable, dominating, I would have liked to play 11 against 11 throughout the tie. It should be very clear and evident for a team to be left with one less because that is almost impossible. In the first leg, there is an action by Vitinha that it would be the second and the referee interprets that no. That’s what I mean,” he defended his position.
Furthermore, he regretted having had to dedicate himself to defending after the Uruguayan’s expulsion. “It has been difficult, we have tried to defend, which is not our strength and Dembélé’s goal hurt us a lot. Today was not the day, everything went wrong for us. It is a shame, but I am extremely proud as a coach and as a ‘culer’ “, be sincere.
“With eleven we have been better and this refereeing action ruined the game for us. I don’t agree that they had won against eleven, we hurt their backs at all times. And we defended well. We had the game, I think, with total control. And the expulsion marks that. The feeling is of disappointment because of the way we lost. But we lost with total dignity. With referee decisions that completely condition you,” he lamented, again.
On the other hand, after his departure in the summer, he believes that the team will continue to grow. “Imagine what this team can become when it is built, because it is a group that is under construction. We have come to where we have come across circumstances that we cannot control. It is from these situations that we learn the most, football is like this, and this team will grow. I’m sure that next year the club will return even stronger to the ‘Champions’,” he predicted.