Barça suffered again and won again in a particularly hostile and rarefied environment due to the ‘Negreira case’. The Barça coach, Xavi Hernández, lamented the chants from the Athletic fans and the launch from part of the stands of San Mamés of tickets with the word “mafia” and the Barcelona colors.
“I am surprised and saddened by the hostility because they have always treated me very well at San Mamés. Judging ahead of time is not good for society”, the Blaugrana coach explained about the atmosphere in ‘the cathedral’, proud of the “courage” of his pupils, a virtue that “has cost Barça throughout history ”.
“We have to focus on playing football,” said a Xavi at a press conference fed up with answering repeated questions about the controversy surrounding the payments of the Barcelona club to a company owned by Enríquez Negreira, vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees between 1994 and 2018.
The man from Egar wanted to focus on what he can control: football. “I am proud of how the team competes. It is reflected in Gavi. There is a family, a team”, praised the one from Terrassa the way his players compete, who endured on the wire, accumulated in their area, the downpour of plays from the Basques in the final stretch.
In the chapter of praise, he also highlighted Alejandro Balde, winner in the duel against Berenguer first and Nico Williams later. “He makes a difference in defense and attack. He is the revelation of the season. He is at a very high level. Due to conditions, he can be whatever he wants,” he praised the winger.
“He has been at an extraordinary level for months. He gives us a lot. He loses few balls, drives, breaks lines of pressure… One of the best midfielders in the world at the moment,” he praised De Jong for his part.
Despite extolling the attitude and good work of his players, the Catalan was also self-critical with his team’s inability to generate danger in the second half, when Athletic pressed the most: “The same thing has happened to us again. We have been 70 minutes at a good level. You have to attack better. In San Mamés you end up suffering, it’s normal”.
“We’ve had two or three clear chances. In the end we didn’t choose the last pass well. That’s why we’ve only scored one goal in many games. We must also value our defensive work. We must be calmer in the offensive phase”, insisted Xavi . “It’s a golden victory,” concluded the coach about a victory that returns the blaugrana to nine points at the head of the League compared to Madrid just before the classic.
Consult all the results of the Santander League.
