Amadeu Garcia

Updated Friday, February 2, 2024-16:51

Xavi Hernández

is not willing to bite his tongue between now and the end of the season. The one who will be Barça's coach until the end of the season assured that he made public his decision to free the team, but the one who seems to have freed himself to the maximum is himself. For this reason, he did not hesitate to align himself with

Joan Laporta

who accused Real Madrid of cynicism due to his videos about the referees. «Yes, I share the president's criticism of Madrid, I already said that I did not like that they condition the referees and they do it every week. That is adulterating the competition. The Negreira case has not added to us either, but it is a reality, we cannot deceive the Barcelona fan," said the coach in the press conference prior to the match against Alavés this Saturday.

«I am not the president of the Federation nor the president of the League, but I am surprised that we admit that, that we allow it, as an athlete. He adulterates the competition completely, and week after week. They condition to the maximum, it is a reality, a blind man sees it.

Simeone

already said it

, we are not stupid. Of course we see it, and everyone sees it. I'm with him, but it's the media that has to say it," insisted Xavi, who pointed, on the other hand, to the demands of the calendar as a cause of the latest plague of injuries.

«We believe that the trips have also accumulated, we have had many games away from home, with little time to rest, with many training sessions just for recovery... Analyzing it from within, no team in Europe or in the world has had a schedule like that. . And, furthermore, there have been situations of misfortune, but we attribute it above all to the calendar and the lack of rest," he said.

"It's not for mental health"

From his point of view, leaving the club remains the only way to bring about change. Therefore, he is not surprised that Laporta has assured that, if it had been someone else who had been in charge of the team, he would have been dismissed for a long time. «What the president says is what I said a month or a month and a half ago. If expectations are not met, it is normal. I'm leaving because of this, not because of the criticism in the press or for mental health, as I've read there. The club needs a change and, being

a culé

, I think this is what is needed," he stressed.

«I'm not tired of football. Nor of you either. It's not for mental health. It's not criticism. Who knows the club more than me? I just feel like I should leave, nothing more. I will continue going to Montjuïc, to the new Camp Nou, with soccer games... Soccer is my life," he added.

«I'm leaving because it's been two and a half years and the process of being Barça coach is not worth it. On a day-to-day basis it is not enjoyable, I have seen it in many coaches, I have seen them suffer even when they win. That is why the other day I asked for a reflection in this sense. In other clubs, yes.

Arrasate

told me 'I enjoy Monday to Friday' and I replied 'well I don't'. I told the president. "I have to be sincere and honest, with the club above all," he said. "I always put the club before myself," he said.