Xavi has apologised to Barcelona fans after the 4-1 win over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.
The Catalans found themselves two down within the opening 10 minutes and ended up losing by three as Vinicius Jr bagged a treble. Ronald Araujo was dismissed with Robert Lewandowski grabbing a consolation as Barcelona were outplayed by their rivals.
Xavi admitted that his team struggled to cope with Madrid’s speed on the counterattack and was left with his hands up after the damaging defeat. However, despite apologizing to the fans, he maintained that the Blaugrana would return.
He told Movistar: “Disappointed, sad. We had a lot of hope, a lot of enthusiasm and we played the worst game of all. We were very bad, we controlled to come back but the 3-1 made things difficult for us”. Madrid did us a lot of damage on the counter-attack, we didn’t avoid those counter-attacks and today we have to experience the bitter side of football.
“I apologise to the fans because it was difficult for us to compete. We were never comfortable, we were dominated. I apologize to the enthusiasts that we put on a bad show. I had some challenging defeats and we bounced back. Barça will be back.
Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto added: “At the moment we are angry about the defeat, against Real Madrid, it still hurts us and I think those two goals in ten minutes, that’s how the game went. We knew that with a goal we were back. “in the game, but that wasn’t the case. I’m sure we’ll get through this. Now is the time to self-criticize and be informed of our mistakes. “
Xavi is in his second full season at the helm after winning the La Liga title last season. However, they have struggled to mount a meaningful defence and languish in fourth place, eight points behind league leaders Girona, whom they lost 4-2 to last month. .
Real Madrid have already claimed victory in the other Clasico of the season, with Jude Bellingham taking a last-minute win. Xavi can still finish the year with the silver medal as Barcelona continues to chase the Copa del Rey and Champions League, with Porto as their last 16 opponents.
Spanish outlet AS reports that although there has been a succession of poor results, there is no threat of Xavi being sacked as the club seeks an era of stability.
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