Barcelona's manager, Xavi Hernandez, is facing escalating criticism following comments made after a narrow 2-1 victory against Alaves. This backlash follows a string of lackluster performances, including a recent defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. Despite recent wins against Real Sociedad and Alaves, Barcelona's overall form has raised concerns, prompting increased scrutiny of Xavi's managerial tactics.
After demanding a reaction from his players, Barcelona conceded an early goal against Alaves and relied on some luck to secure the victory. In a post-match interview, Xavi denied hearing whistles from the Montjuic crowd at half-time and suggested that negative press coverage was affecting the team's performance, creating scenarios that were not real.
Xavi went on to claim that the media's influence had impacted his own career while defending his players, stating, “These players deserve credit. We are bad at the moment, but we managed to pull off a win in a game that turned very ugly. I value the personality of coming back.” However, many observers viewed Xavi's attempt to shift blame to the press as a weak excuse, emphasizing that managing a club like Barcelona inherently involves intense scrutiny.