Xavi does not see Barcelona as the most prominent candidate in the European League .. and angry at the "music of champions"
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez does not believe that his team is the most likely candidate to win the European Football Championship this season, before meeting with Napoli in the first leg of the championship playoff tomorrow, Thursday.
Barcelona was unable to retain its place in the playoffs of the Champions League, which it has stuck to during the past 17 seasons in the continental competition, after it ranked third in the standings of Group E in the first round of the tournament behind Bayern Munich and Benfica, to move to the European League.
Barcelona collides with Napoli, in order to win the nomination paper for the round of 16 in the European League, in the first experience of the Spanish team with the current system of the European competition, which follows the Champions League in terms of importance.
Xavi expressed his anger at the Catalan giant's early exit from the Champions League, but he does not feel that his team is expected to win the European League title.
Xavi told reporters today: "I will not say that we are the favorites to win the title. But we face a difficult opponent."
Napoli is currently in third place in the Italian league standings after its 1-1 draw with its guest, Inter, the holder of the local competition, last Saturday, in its last meeting in the championship before its expected European confrontation.
Xavi realizes that Barcelona faces a great challenge, in its quest to qualify for the next round of the tournament, at the expense of the team managed by Luciano Spalletti.
"We could have seen this match in the Champions League very well," the Barcelona coach confirmed. "They are a very good team."
He said: "Napoli is a really very good team led by a coach with a lot of experience. They work really well in moving the ball and pressing high on the field."
He explained: "They will make it difficult for us, they want to have possession of the ball, they defend well and they are characterized by narrow spaces, and they have players with a high degree of efficiency."
Xavi sees the Champions League matches as difficult without Barcelona, but he considers the European League an opportunity to add a new cup to the giant club's treasury of titles.
"It's another motivation to win a title that we don't have," Xavi said. "I feel very angry listening to Champions League music and not being there."
And the Catalan coach revealed that he could give Sergio Busquets a rest, and said that he might be ready to push Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the starting list for the match.
Xavi spoke about Aubameyang, saying: "He is now 100% ready and we will see him play safely. He is a player who is able to play in the spaces and come down to receive the ball and open gaps in the opponents' defense." He is distinguished by his positivity and positivity within the group.
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