BARCELONA, Nov. 7 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The FC Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, warned of the difficulty that this Tuesday’s match against Osasuna will have at El Sadar, against a team from Navarra trained by Jagoba Arrasate who are fifth in LaLiga Santander and that it will be a tough last hurdle before the break league for the World Cup.
“We have an intense and difficult rival who is doing things very well. Jagoba works well. They are fifth in the table, at home they are very strong,” warned the Blaugrana coach at a press conference.
However, he assured that the dynamics of the team are good and that they want to close this 2022 with a victory in LaLiga. “We know that the Osasuna stadium is very difficult but we arrived in good shape and we want these three points to finish well before the ‘break'”, he assured.
“The game is important because when you don’t win, it’s always negative. We’ve made some sensational numbers in LaLiga and tomorrow is key to fighting for LaLiga until the end,” the Terrassa player reiterated in this regard.
Xavi, who has been on the Blaugrana bench for a year, did not want to rate himself but was happy with his journey. “Last year’s balance is in a very difficult situation to achieve the objective of getting into the ‘Champions’. And this year, despite the elimination in the ‘Champions’, we are doing well in the League and we will tell the internal notes at the end seasonal,” he said.
“But the balance is positive, we have a very clear identity and game model. The team is growing, a very important growth has been seen and in the end they will dictate the results. But I want to think that we are on the right track,” he said.
He recognized that “it is not easy” to be a Barça coach. “I get along quite well. I knew the difficulty of the challenge, the situation of the club. It is one of the clubs with the most noise from the environment but I am calm. I think that since our arrival the team has grown and that was the objective. Now It’s still the same, we have to fight for the titles because that’s the objective and that’s where we’re at, I’m not hiding”, he was honest.
“Dembélé makes a difference in many games and his numbers have improved since we’ve been here. He feels important and has grown. He lacks the consistency to do it in every game and he can do it. He has all the talent and conditions to be the best in his position,” he commented when asked about the Frenchman.
“We have talked, in constant communication. There is a good relationship. We will decide together. The important thing is that he recovers well, for Uruguay and for us,” he commented on the possibility that Ronald Araújo, injured, could play in the World Cup.
A World Cup that will live, for a few days, live in Qatar, a country that he knows well for his past as a player and coach in his league. “I’ve been in Qatar for six years and I wish them the best. It’s going to be a historic World Cup for the country and for football. I think it’s going to be very good. I’ll try to go for a few days to watch a game from Spain or Qatar live And I will follow him”, he was sincere.
