“I'm surprised that people get off the boat on the first bend”
He claims to be more involved than ever: “I don't want to fail the club of my life”
BARCELONA, 15 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernández, assured this Friday that he has not thought about resigning and assured that it is the opposite, that he has more involvement than ever and that they will not “stop him” on his path to success, something in which he believes although he regrets and criticizes that Barcelona's media environment is not united or closing ranks with the team “at the first corner” of this campaign.
“I like leadership and being in the front row, pulling the wagon and being criticized and not the players. Criticism is welcome, it helps to improve and find solutions, I give even more of myself. I will not stop and no one will stop me “I haven't thought about leaving but I have more involvement. I don't want to fail the club of my life,” he said at a press conference.
Xavi believes that an assessment should not be made until the end of the season and that is why he regrets that his possible departure is being talked about or commented on in December. “When the season ends you reset and say, where are we? You see if something has been won or nothing… But I'm very excited, I think we can have a great season and everything is at stake. It's time to be consistent, be calm down, gain confidence,” he appealed.
“I believe more than ever in the project and the players, we have a fantastic union with the president, with Deco, with Yuste… And I have a very good relationship with the president. It is time for trust, for working harder if possible, for believe in what we are doing, things have been done well and I insist that we are halfway to making a great Barça,” he reiterated.
And there he began with his criticism of the media environment. “I'm surprised that in the first corner people get off the boat. It's time to be very united. I said it like that in my first Gamper and I see that the media are not united. And it's time to be more united than ever with fans, players and Board of Directors in this perhaps second bad curve,” he asked.
“The same pattern is repeated as last season, when in October they wanted to send everything to nothing. But the season ended very well. Why can't this happen now? I am surprised and surprised that in the first corner it happens again what happened last season. We should unite,” he added.
“Alarm bells always go off here when things are not going well and yes, okay, things are not going well at all but everything is at stake. Last year everything was worse and we ended up having a remarkable season. Why not Can this be excellent? The 4 titles are at stake. I believe in what I do and it will not change because of what people and the media say, but I don't see them united and it surprises me. I get messages as if it were a funeral, like if my father or mother had died. And no journalist congratulated me for passing in 'Champions' as leaders. That is the unreality that I see,” he charged.
On the other hand, he sees his players “totally committed.” “Everyone is upset and disappointed when things don't work out, like in the last two games. But they are to death with the staff and the Board, inside we are very united and there is no choice but to work to improve in every way. We need stability, we are a winning project that is under construction, but if each pothole creates a deep depression, this is not going to start. If there is a tie in Valencia, there is a tie and we continue to believe in the project because the club needs stability. And more in post-Messi era,” he argued.
And with the trust of players and managers, he denied feeling alone. “I never feel alone on the staff. First because I have a brother and then friends with capital letters. And the president has never failed me, he has fulfilled everything he has said. I don't feel alone, on the contrary , I feel supported and strong. I feel that we can have a great season, we have to be positive inside because outside (media environment) it is already clear that things are not going well,” he said.
On a more personal level, he commented that he does not know if he has become “unfair” with his figure. “I don't know if this has been unfair to me. But I know that an unreality is being told. A tension is generated that is not necessary, first, and then it does not tell what reality is. We are in the race to win four titles, that “It is reality. And what some want to make people live is an unreality, because everything is at stake. And that is the reality that I live, the one that is lived outside is different, from what I see. I don't understand anything, nothing,” be sincere.
The Egarense coach wanted to make it clear who he meant by getting off the boat. “The ones who get off at the first corner are the environment, not the fans. We 'culers' have to be more positive, and the Barça-friendly media cannot let us go at the first corner. These players are champions of League and Super Cup and they deserve respect. From there, work and results and if it doesn't work out, okay. But don't get off at the first corner. The fans are with the team and are at '10', this is not the problem “he reiterated.
“Last year was much worse. There is an unreality to what is being explained. You can win the four titles, we have played good games. It is time to trust these players and this squad. Five months ago we were on a street celebrating titles. You have to trust and believe externally, because it is already done internally,” he added, in this sense.
In addition, he believes that the defeats against Girona and Antwerp can help. “This bad week is going to help us, I'm sure it was convenient what happened to know that we are not doing things well and improve. Let's keep working. This is about competing and having results and if in the end there are no results, surely the Coach will have to leave. But not now,” he said.
GO FOR THE MESTALLA FINAL
As for this Saturday's match at Mestalla against Valencia CF, it was the least asked about. But he assured that it is a final given the need to score points in LaLiga EA Sports. “It's a final because we need points. The problem is that in LaLiga we are not where we should be,” the coach acknowledged.
“The defeats against Madrid and Girona are affecting us and are weighing on us, but there is time to solve it. We have to recover points no matter what. We now have a very difficult opponent, Baraja is doing an extraordinary job. They are now 1 point out of 12 and have lowered the level but at Mestalla they always push. It's difficult, it's a final for us,” he reiterated.
Of course, in the event of defeat, he believes that LaLiga would be in a worse situation than now but without being anything decisive. “Not saying goodbye to LaLiga, but if we lose it would be bad for us. But in case of victory, perhaps we will cut points. We have to think positively. If we lose, it would be even more difficult for us and that is why I say that we need points” , he concluded.