Xavi: 'Barca declined because of winning the title last season'

Spain According to coach Xavi, Barca is having problems this season because of lack of motivation and desire after winning the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga last season.

Last season, Barca won La Liga four games early, with 88 points from 28 wins, four draws and six losses, scoring 70 goals and conceding 20. They had the best defensive record in the league, far ahead of second-placed Atletico, who conceded 33 goals. The Catalan club also won the Spanish Super Cup, beating Real 3-1 at King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

But in La Liga this season, Barca have slumped, currently fourth with 31 points, scoring 27 goals and conceding 13. They have not won two of their last five matches, including a 2-1 loss to Real and a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano last weekend.

In a press conference ahead of the match against Porto in the fifth round of Group H of the Champions League, Xavi admitted that Barca no longer have the same motivation and desire as last season. "The hardest thing in sport is to win after winning," he said. "That's why top athletes keep winning. For them, winning is like medicine, and deserves great admiration. We have won, we have won, but we have to continue to compete and win."

Xavi at a press conference on November 27, before Barca's match against Porto in the fifth round of Group H of the Champions League. Photo: FC Barcelona — Xavi at a press conference on November 27, before Barca's match against Porto in the fifth round of Group H of the Champions League. Photo: *FC Barcelona*

The Spanish coach wants his players to immediately change their mentality, play more focused and minimize mistakes. "Last year, we made fewer mistakes and that's why we got better results," Xavi emphasized.

Barca are also struggling in the Champions League. Xavi's men lead the way with nine points, level with Porto and three ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk. If they beat Porto today, Barca will be certain to advance to the knockout stages, as Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk will face each other in the final round. If they draw or lose, Barca face the risk of being eliminated from the Champions League group stage for the third time in a row.

In the 2021-2022 season, Barca finished third in the group stage and had to play in the Europa League - where they lost 3-4 on aggregate to Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals. A similar scenario happened last season, when Barca continued to finish third in the group stage, then lost 3-4 to Man Utd in the Europa League play-off.

"If we win, we will definitely go through. After the last two seasons, it is a great opportunity," said Xavi. "We are going into the game really motivated, in front of our fans and let's hope it is a magical night. It is an important test and we have to be critical of ourselves because we have not played as well as we would like to have played recently. It is a great opportunity to make this a turning point in the season."

The 43-year-old coach called on fans to fill the stadium to cheer and motivate Barca, just as fans motivated Porto in the first leg a few weeks ago. "That is very important because Porto are a strong opponent and the next match will be very difficult," Xavi said.

Xavi insists he still has the backing of President Joan Laporta and Sporting Director Deco, despite the poor results of late. He also denies feeling increasingly isolated now that Technical Director Mateu Alemany and Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff have left the club.

Hong Duy

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