And now what, Barça? The operation to try to save the season’s furniture started this Sunday at the facilities of the Ciutat Esportiva de Sant Joan Despí. The morning after The goal is to try to raise our heads to finish the season in the top four and go as far as possible in the Champions League. As always, the most grandiose voice was that of the president, Joan Laporta, who proclaimed that the League is still possible and that “we have to fight with everything to try to win the Champions League.”
The leader said this in statements to the club’s media 15 hours after Xavi took a great weight off his shoulders by revealing his decision to leave on June 30. The footballers did not know, and yesterday the coach gave them the pertinent explanations.
The coach repeated, in general terms, and with a contrite gesture, the same speech he put together in his press conference. He told them that he is leaving because he is tired, because he does not want to be a problem and because he is no longer enjoying himself, and he asked them for maximum commitment between now and the end of the season. He promised them for this section to give his best to try to get the team to wake up. The one from Terrassa and his entire coaching staff are liberated, but at the same time very affected. After Xavi took the floor it was the captain’s turn, Sergi Roberto. The one from Reus regretted the coach’s decision, apologized on behalf of the players for not having been up to par in various games and even urged him to reconsider his position. He was not the only player who addressed the coach in these terms, but Xavi already assured that he would not back down “not even by winning the Champions League.”
After training, Laporta, who spent two and a half hours at the Ciutat Esportiva, entered the locker room accompanied by vice president Rafa Yuste, the sports director, Deco, and his advisor, Enric Masip. The president, as on other occasions, tried to convey encouragement and verbalize an optimistic message.
Then he used the club’s official microphones to give his opinion on the situation. “Xavi told me that he was leaving at the end of the season and that he wanted to finish it. I accept it because it is Xavi who proposed it to me. He is a legend of Barcelona fans, he is honest, he acts with dignity and he loves Barça. That’s why I can accept it, because the commitment will be the maximum,” said the president.
He accepts it, but we will have to see how events develop. If the team takes flight, even minimally, Xavi’s hand strike will be accepted. The coach thinks that the results are not doing justice to the game of recent weeks and regrets, however, the flood of goals conceded. The return of Ter Stegen should be a reinforcement in that sense, while the sports management continues dreaming of incorporating an emergency midfielder.
But what would happen if Barça does not stop the bleeding and continues adding setbacks? It would have to be seen. The reserve team’s coach, Rafa Márquez, did not hide even in the heat of the day that he would gladly accept the opportunity.
But at the moment no one wants to put themselves in that position. Starting with a president who is characterized by making the same statements as when Barça was a world reference. “The League is difficult, but it is not lost. We don’t rule out winning it, although we have to finish as well as possible. We have to do everything we have to try to win the Champions League. First Naples, we go step by step, with optimism, more character and with the coach giving everything.”
Taking into account the unreliability of the team and that right now Girona is eleven points behind and Madrid is ten points behind, talking about the League title seems little less than a delirium. What Barça really cares about is not being left out of the top four places and continuing to play in the Champions League next season.
According to Laporta, what is failing is the sporting aspect, because “the club is under control in the institutional, economic and social section.” For the president, “expectations are not being met” in the first team despite having “an improved squad.” A template that has collapsed.
