FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez was in good spirits after qualifying against Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, thanks to a late 3-1 victory.
The Blaugrana coach, who will leave his post at the end of the season, did not miss the opportunity to respond to the media coverage he is receiving. After the match, he referred to an old article from November calling FC Barcelona “crazy about Europe”, which El Pais journalist Ramon Besa came to explain.
The two men had a private conversation, with Xavi claiming that Besa was writing in bad faith, which the latter vigorously denied.
Journalists close to Guardiola
Following Besa’s explanation of the Cadena SER, journalist Sique Rodriguez Gairi gave more details on the case. He explains that Xavi has a list of 25 journalists “close to Pep Guardiola” who, according to him, criticize the player too harshly and seek trouble with their analyses, believing that their “attacks” are unfair. Rodriguez goes on to explain that in his opinion, Xavi’s belief in this conspiracy is “wrong and harms him.”
Xavi has been heavily critical of the media in recent months, citing the lack of appreciation for his work in the media as one of the reasons he will leave his post this summer, as well as the pressure he is under. There’s no doubt that criticism can be fierce at Barca and often takes place in a political context, but Xavi has also received gentler treatment than many other managers for his past at the club. .
