Xavi press conference ahead of Barcelona’s LaLiga game against Valencia

Xavi’s fine, just don’t ask him if he is. Really, just leave it. The Barcelona boss sat down in front of the press ahead of the LaLiga game against Valencia CF, a fixture that he had called ‘a final’ earlier in the week, after a damaging defeat against Antwerp in the Champions League.

“We need points”, Xavi said bluntly when asked if the game against Valencia was indeed ‘a final’; “in the league we’re not where we deserve to be. The defeat against Girona affected us” he added.

On Valencia, who “have dropped off”, Xavi said that they “have young players and the game will be tough... Mestalla is always difficult and Baraja is doing a great job.”

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‘I have a great relationship with Deco’

Now that the pleasantries of asking about the upcoming game were over, the journalists rummaged around in their satchels for their knifes and forks, recently sharpened. ‘Have you thought about leaving?’ came the first stab. Xavi, it quickly became known, was in his us versus them kind of mood.

“No. At the end of the season you do a reset anyway”, Xavi declared in response, “but I’m positive and excited. We can have a great season. I believe in the players, in the project”. It’s a shame that Xavi’s belief in his ideas isn’t what’s going to keep him in the job, or else he’d have tenure at Barcelona. “I have a great relationship with Deco (the Sporting Director) and the President.”

Earlier in the week, the two had sent out differing messages after a late squad change saw players such as Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan included with little to no notice. Not only did they make the trip to Belgium, but they played, with the Pole even starting the game. After the match, Deco said that it had not been consensual, contradicting the message given by Xavi himself, who said it had indeed been discussed.

‘We have to be united, with the media it’s not like that’

Anyway, back to Valencia: Xavi went on to say that they have “worked very well for two years together. We are in the middle of creating a great Barça side.”

“It’s surprising to me that at the first hurdle people have jumped ship” - Xavi, back to Valencia, we said! - ”We have to be united: the fans, the board, the players. I see that with the media it’s not like that. We have to believe in the players, in the project. The alarms always go off here when things don’t go well, because everything is in play. Last season things went worse and we ended up having a good season. We have to be positive.”

The boss was asked whether or not the players are behind his idea, to which he said that “he has no doubt” that they are: “If it weren’t like that, I’d leave. The people believe and on the inside we are together. We have to improve and keep going”.

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‘The Culés have to be more positive’

“I don’t feel alone”, he continued, “I have my staff, who are extraordinary. I have my brother; I feel backed. The president has never let me down. We have to be positive as we can see that on the outside there is no support... Barcelonistas must be more united than ever.”

Criticism, said Xavi, despite raging earlier in the week that it has been too microscopic, is now “welcome”, as “it helps find solutions”. After this entirely contradictory statement to what was revealed midweek, Xavi continued his manifestation: “nobody will stop me. I don’t want to fail, and less so at the club of my life.” According to the coach it is “those around the club” who have jumped ship. “The Culés have to be more positive. We can’t let go after one hurdle. These players are league champions, they deserve respect.”

We’re going to play a game: I’m going to tell you the question that was asked to Xavi and you’re going to read the response. Then, without looking, I want you to tell me what the original question was.

Here’s the question: ‘Have you noticed a lack of affection or support?’

‘I get messages as though every day’s a funeral’

Xavi’s response: “The fans are with the team, they are top. The team runs, they work well”.

“The defeat against Girona and Real Madrid are the ones that hurt us”, the coach reminded us without prompt, “but there is time to recover. There is a false reality that is being told. We have to trust the staff and players. We have to believe in the project.”

What was the question again?

The follow-up question related to Xavi’s mention of ‘a false reality’, to which he expanded by repeating “I think there is a false reality that is being told. There is too much tension. We can win four trophies, that is the reality. My reality”.

By this point it had become clear that giving Xavi silence meant he was going to fill it. When asked about if people are against the club, he bit back: “I get messages as though every day’s a funeral, as though my mother or father had died. By the way, none of you lot congratulated me on getting through to the Champions League Round of 16. A month ago I was Ferguson and now I’m on the street. The club needs stability. In every project, when there are bumps in the road, you need stability. We are the holders of the league and Super Cup. If after the first punch in the gut we become deeply depressed, we’ll never get going. If we draw against Valencia, we keep going. If we lose, we lose. The club needs stability and even more in the post-Messi era and with such a complicated economic situation.

Valencia host Barcelona on Saturday December 16 at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.