MADRID, 19 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernández, recognized that they had “lost a golden opportunity” after falling against Cádiz on Monday at the Camp Nou and saying “almost goodbye” to the options of fighting for LaLiga Santander with Real Madrid and lamented that they lacked “faith, illusion, desire and hope”.
“We are angry, we have lost a golden opportunity to distance ourselves from the rest of the teams that are fighting for the Champions League and even to fight for the League, to which we almost said goodbye. I am disappointed and angry, we have to play with more determination, we have to be self-critical because this is Barça and more things have to be done,” said Xavi at a press conference.
The Catalan coach recognized that the rivals defend them “now in a low block” and that for that “talent and decision-making are required”. “Today was a victory of faith, of hope, and the team lacked it and I consider myself the most responsible. We are playing for qualification for the Champions League and we have to be aware, that’s why I’m angry, the team should have shown more faith, desire and enthusiasm”, he insisted.
“We have to continue, we are not in the situation of when we took on the team in November, but we wanted to fight for a title. We have to continue betting on this model and for having more desire, we cannot lose 0-1 with Cádiz. There are seven left finals and we have to play them, today we haven’t played a final”, added the man from Terrassa.
Xavi asked to be “humble and honest”. “Nothing has been done yet, there has been a change of system, idea and game, but we have to improve, to play in the next Champions League we have to play with more faith, determination and drive, we can’t concede three such clear chances and the that we generate we have to put in. We have to grit our teeth because we are playing it”, he stressed, making it clear that he had not seen a lack of attitude.
“When you win 0-4 at the Bernabéu it’s logical that you say that (that they had returned), but you have to be self-critical. On Thursday against Real we have to compete in another way to cover the main objective, which is to be in the Champions League. We have to work for the great Barça to return because it is the same one that won 0-4 at the Bernabéu with a great match and the same one that lost against Eintracht. We have to work so that the results return again”, he stressed.
“The president will explain it to you,” he settled on whether he already knew the causes of what happened with the public against Eintracht. “We need the people, the other day it affected us a lot. Today the people have been extraordinary even without the cheering crowd, I hope they can be with us because we need them, Barcelona must be united now more than ever”, he sentenced.