Barcelona is a highly political club, and it is fair to say that it got the better of Xavi Hernandez last season, with Blaugrana leadership swinging between backing him and sacking him for a number of months. The fallout is still ongoing.
This week President Joan Laporta noted that he was delighted with the team so far, and felt that the work done in to bring in a new fitness staff was paying dividends. It was a criticism levelled at Xavi that his side was not physically up to scratch last season, and TV3 report that those around Xavi believe the constant stories about the fitness of the team over the last few months have been deliberate. They feel that the praise for Hansi Flick and his new fitness staff is indirectly a criticism of Xavi’s work.
Presumably the motivation would be to lay the blame for last season’s failures at Xavi’s door, rather than at the squad planning or for the hierarchy. It may well be the case. That said, the difference in fitness has been commented on by Robert Lewandowski, Pau Cubarsi and Pedri, and it seems unlikely that they would get involved in the club’s media battle with a former manager.
Alhafson
9
barca should please call xavi and sack him again
BillyDedon
7
Xavi did his best but he wouldn't do any better than what he has done with this squad cause we even have less quality compared to what he has had in the last 2 seasons but the team is playing even better. Xavi won us Laliga and we are happy for that but we can as well admit the fact that he won Laliga because there wasn't any challenge that season even Real Madrid who was the only one to give us a challenge that season got battered 4-0 by Man City which shows how poor they where that season. Xavi bottled a Ucl group stage that same season even though we signed 5 players that transfer window, Lewandoski who was still in his just leaving Bayern, Raphinia who was a stand out player for Leeds United, Kunde who was Sevilla best defender, Christiansen from Chelsea, Frank Kessie who was just coming from winning the league with AC Milan and was one of the standout players but still Xavi bottled the Ucl group stage with all this players playing defensive and boring football with them. Flick doesn't even have up to that quality and Lewandoski is now getting old almost all players weren't performing but Flick has come in and unlocked almost every players potentials and he deserves all the credit Xavi and his team of coaching should work hard rather than being jealous.