By: EFE
By: EFE
Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, described Tuesday’s game against Sevilla as “a huge opportunity” for his team to get into positions to play the Champions League, one of the objectives of this course for the Barça team.
At the press conference prior to the last match of the year, the Egarense coach praised his next rival – “a great team”, he stressed – and stated that his squad “is growing”, although he recalled that he needs ” patience and time “ because the base of the team is not the one he wanted.
” We are facing a huge opportunity to sneak into the ‘Champions’ positions. Since I arrived, we carry 10 from 15 Possible points in LaLiga. Not bad. We worked to get fifteen, but it couldn’t be ”, he assured.
However, Xavi is aware that this Tuesday at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán they will face a “direct” rival who is “an example to follow” both for “his philosophy and idea of a club” with Julen Lopetegui on the bench, who he said is “a huge coach”.
In the last game against Elche (3-2), three youngsters from the subsidiary – Nico González, Pablo Páez Gavira ‘Gavi’ and Ferran Jutglà- were the authors of the many that gave the victory to Barcelona.
Therefore, Xavi highlighted that these players, who are enjoying opportunities with the first team, “must be the basis of the present and the future” of Barcelona.
In this sense, he revealed that the club “is evaluating “including in January” a player from the subsidiary with a first team record “ so that Barcelona is not limited by the rule to align seven players from the first team in the League matches.
Likewise, Xavi gave a message of confidence towards the most veteran players and specified that, despite the explosion of young people, all the members of the first team are having “an extraordinary commitment” since who took over as coach.
Among the veterans is Marc-André ter Stegen, whose performance is being questioned by the fans. Xavi acknowledged that the German goalkeeper has “mistakes”, but stressed that his “footwork is being extraordinary.”
“We won the match at Villarreal for his action. You have to criticize, but you also have to praise when he does it well ”, recalled the Barcelona coach, who said that“ only Manuel Neuer is at the level of Ter Stegen at the start of the ball ”.