Xavi: FC Barcelona boss furious with players in half-time against Almeria, accused them of lacking spirit
Things are not going well among FC Barcelona camp as the Spanish defending champions are playing out miserably in the domestic sector. Having endured a beleaguered week with two losses and a draw, Barca was eager to get a win against lowly Almeria, who were on the last spot of the La Liga table. Although Barca won, it was their lack of ambition and dedication which almost snatched the victory away from them.
FC Barcelona- All is not well on the Catalan front?
FC Barcelona might be the reigning champions of La Liga, but things have not gone well according to their plans this season. They are currently on the third spot, well off from leaders Real Madrid and trailing behind surprise package Girona by seven points, as things have gone haywire with the Catalan giants. Barca endured a difficult last week when they stared at an ominous defeat in the hands of Girona, which was followed by a stunning 2-3 loss against UEFA Champions League debutants Royal Antwerp. The Catalans have been squared off against old foes Napoli in the Round of 16 in the European too flight, a stage where they have presented themselves after a hiatus of three years. But, a stunning behind-the-scenes information has been reported in their game against Almeria, when boss Xavi was heard expressing his angst regarding his side’s performance at half-time, in a game which they registered a hard-fought victory of 3-2, owing to a Sergi Roberto brace.
A tough win
Against a side which has been winless since the beginning, conceding two goals would be unacceptable to any manager of caliber like Xavi. Barca might have won the game against Almeria 3-2, owing to a masterclass from skipper Sergi Roberto, who turned himself into a 2015-16 prime Roberto, defensive frailties are a concern for the Spanish defending champions. They had conceded two goals, first came on the 41st minute, when Baptistao foxed Barca defenders and scored a goal while dunking La Masia graduate and Ter Stegen replacement Inaki Pena, while the second came on the 71st minute with a huge mistake from Araujo and Pena led Edgar Gonzalez to restore parity.
It was reported by Javi Miguel that Xavi was furious during the half-time break when he almost threw away everything which came on his way, as he wanted to reinforce the attacking mentality within his side. He took out the blackboard, and used all kinds of insult on his players, as his urgency might have worked for the side, who showcased a comparatively better performance in the second half.
He was heard saying to his side about the lack of ambition as he said, “I want you to run like pigs. It can’t be like that! It cannot be so.”
Those three points were valuable for Barcelona’s revival as it has brough them back to the title race, as Girona and Real Madrid continue to surge ahead with their respective results. But, after a difficult victory against Almeria, Barca have lost to Club America in a mid-week friendly away at Dallas, with the side featuring every La Masia graduates who have captured the attention of Xavi.
