“The anger is over, there is enthusiasm again and the desire to do things well”
“This year finishing second is a goal, even if it isn’t for Barça’s history”
BARCELONA, 20 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The FC Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, highlighted the return of Gerard Piqué to the call to travel to the Real Arena Anoeta and made it clear that he does not see the center-back deconcentrated due to the audio leak due to his “extroverted” character and that all this He gives “gasoline” and “adrenaline” to compete “better”, while admitting that the anger is over now for the defeat against Cádiz, although he assumes that “the objective” is to finish second in LaLiga Santander.
“On the non-sports issue, Piqué likes to be on people’s lips. If he was distracted or unfocused, I would be the first to tell him, but this gives him fuel, it’s like adrenaline. He needs these stimuli to compete better,” he said. Xavi Hernández this Wednesday in the preview of the match against Real Sociedad.
The Barça coach showed his confidence in the Catalan center-back, who is already registered and is the main novelty of the squad. “I know how to manage Gerard and he manages himself very well. He has given us a brutal performance in recent times and we have missed him in these games,” he said.
Asked about the leaked audios, Xavi pointed out that the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, is “a noble uncle who looks out for the good of all” and with whom he has a good relationship. “The two are looking for the good of the great majority, both one and the other in their position would not have done it in any way. Whether it is ethical or not, there are all kinds of opinions, the benefit is almost, almost unanimous”, settled on the subject.
The Terrassa coach highlighted the ‘final’ that they will play this Thursday at the Reale Arena where there will be “more” than three points at stake. “We had all hoped that perhaps we could compete in the league and it is practically impossible. We have to face reality. This year finishing second is a goal, even if it is not for the history of Barça”, he admitted.
To do this, they must beat the San Sebastian team in their fort. “Imanol (Alguacil) is a great coach, he has shown it, he assimilates what we want as a game model. They are an example for us because of how they do things, and they have even won titles, such as the Cup. It will be a difficult rival and a field that we don’t know too well”, pointed out Xavi.
“THE ANGER IS OVER, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE NEGATIVE DYNAMIC”
A match that will be “very attractive” for the fans, but “more suffered” for the coaches. “The anger is over, there is again this illusion and desire to do things well. We have entered a negative dynamic and we have to leave as of tomorrow,” he said.
In a week, FC Barcelona has said goodbye to the Europa League and the League. “You have to remake yourself and great stories are written when there is a good start. We are going to restart and try again to recover what we had three games ago: good play, good dynamics and joy,” he stressed.
Pedri’s loss will be one of the sensitive points for the Barça team in the last stretch of the season. “The data says it all, he is a vital player and one of the media in the world that best understands our idea, so it is a very important loss. Like Ansu, Araujo or Piqué, when they are not there, the team suffers Xavi lamented.
On the right side, the coach will be able to count on Dani Alves and Sergiño Dest, although both come with discomfort. “Dest played a great game on the day of Cádiz, his performance is very good. Dani did not play and the day before he left training with discomfort. I asked him to be on the list in case we needed him. In terms of commitment, zero complaints “, he admitted.
Regarding the referees, the one from Terrassa assured that he trusts their “honesty”. “They want to do it in the best possible way, it’s evidence. Many times when we go to talk to them they also suffer and feel the tension because they want to do it well. We will neither be benefited nor harmed, it’s a balance”, he concluded.