Barcelona manager Xavi post-match press conference | Spanish Super Cup final 2024

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández stood over his creation, smoke puffing up from the wreckage that lay crumbling on the charred Saudi Arabian grass. The four midfielders were hanging by a thread, his high line all tangled around each other and Ronald Araujo completely missing. The worst thing of all, perhaps, was “the hope and desire we had to win”, which ended up turning into, according to Xavi, “the worst game of all”. It ended Real Madrid 4-1 Barcelona, and it was one of the most overpowering performances of all time from Los Blancos who picked up Spanish Super Cup number 13.

The Catalan coach mixed things up ahead of the first whistle, switching out from his 4-3-3 and going with a system that incorporated four midfielders in an effort to go toe-to-toe against Ancelotti’s marauding engine room. The Wright Brothers fiddled with their design for months before taking the leap upwards, every precaution imaginable taken in order to assure a safe transition into the new era of design and technology. But, until they took off, it was all hypothetical. Xavi’s plan looked good, with his defensive line high up the pitch, pressed against his packed-out, overload-oriented middle third, but fatal lapses in concentration cannot be taken care of before the game.

‘We weren’t at the level required for a final’

“We started really badly”, Xavi said, referring to the fact that the goal after 5 minutes was followed up by one 4 minutes later, “we got the deficit down but at 3-1 it was tough for us. Madrid really hurt us on the counter, we didn’t stop their transitions and today we saw the bitter side of football. I’m sorry to the fans because it was tough for us to compete, I’ve experienced a lot of defeats in my career and we’ve always come back. Barça will be back, we’ll be back”, he manifested.

“This game”, Xavi continued, “can help us to compete better. There will be tough days coming up, days in which we have to withstand a lot of criticism and accept it, accept that we weren’t at the level required for a final. We have to get back into it and go for the trophies that are left.”

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‘This is not the image of the club, and even less so against Madrid’

When asked how he saw the game unfold, the boss replied that simply, Barcelona didn’t “stop the runs” by making “tactical fouls”. “Their two goals come from balls in behind, they hurt us. The high press wasn’t good”, he began to riff, “it’s a tough defeat, we’re pissed off. We showed one of the worst versions of ourselves of the whole season. We have to improve a lot to win trophies”, the tension grew, as did the redness in Xavi’s face at the realisation he had lost the game. “We have to say sorry to the Barcelona fans, this is not the image of the club in a final and even less so against Real Madrid.”

“I’m disappointed and pissed off as a Barça fan and a coach. It’s not the image of a final”, he repeated, “it’s a tough loss but there is a lot of the season to go. We have three trophies to fight for. It’s a blow for the club and the players but we’ll be back.”

On the specifics of the goals, Xavi said that Barcelona “didn’t block the runs from the midfield line, we came out badly [from the dressing room] and it’s not on. The penalty also killed us.”

Xavi admits his position will be questioned

Xavi continued, despite the question, to repeat the same message: ”We have to put up with the criticism and say sorry. We have to keep working, there’s no other way to go... We showed the worse version of ourselves and it’s a trophy missed”. Then came the line that often comes out when Barcelona lose under Xavi: “we have to be self-critical but believe in the project.”

“Last year we won trophies. I insist, today we have to say sorry but a year ago there were arguments to suggest that this was a new era. We have to put up with this, reset and fight for what’s left.”

On whether he was worried about his status as coach, Xavi candidly replied “yes”, before saying that he was “prepared.” “I don’t have a problem with it, because we are capable of turning the situation around. I’m strong and calm. It’s a step backwards but this continues, there will be a lot of deserved criticism.”