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FC Barcelona had to cope with another bitter setback on Sunday. In the final of the Supercopa de España, the Spanish champions lost 4-1 to arch-rivals Real Madrid. The pressure on coach Xavi Hernandez’s shoulders is therefore noticeably increasing.
After years of setting the tone for the Catalan midfield, it was clear that Xavi would return to Camp Nou as head coach after his playing career. However, he first learned the tricks of the trade from the Qatari Al-Sadd. During this time he repeatedly rejected a return to Barça.
But in fall 2021 he changed course. At the urging of chairman Joan Laporta, the former international was hired as the new head coach. However, the working conditions were not exactly easy given the club’s financial problems.
Setback after national title
Through all sorts of accounting tricks, Barça managed to provide Xavi with the necessary reinforcements in the summer of 2022. And that paid off in the end. He led his team to their first Spanish championship title in four years last season.
At the same time, however, his performance on the European stage was disappointing. And there is no confirmation in the current year. The defending champions are currently only in fourth place in La Liga and are already 8 points behind leaders Girona. Furthermore, the game delivered is anything but shiny.
Management trust
After the defeat against Real on Sunday evening, there was open speculation in the Spanish press about a possible expulsion. But according to sports director Deco, that is currently not the case. “The coach continues to enjoy the trust of the chairman of the board and the sporting management. This defeat doesn’t change that,” emphasized the Portuguese in front of the cameras Movistar. We’ll have to wait and see if this confidence remains if results continue to disappoint in the coming weeks…
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