FC Barcelona did not come out of the World Cup break particularly happy. In the derby against Espanyol it was only enough for a 1-1 draw at the weekend. It got even worse on Wednesday evening yesterday. The Catalans had to go into extra time against third division CF Intercity. In the end there was a very happy 4:3 victory. The star ensemble gave a tour three times. And that against an opponent who is even behind their own second team in the table.
The sky over the Camp Nou has now darkened. The initial euphoria after Xavi’s arrival has evaporated. After the early elimination in the Champions League, they are now level on points with Real in the championship, in the cup an embarrassing elimination could only be averted by a narrow margin. And what is even more serious: again and again it is lack of concentration on the defensive and sloppiness on the offensive that prevent clear successes.
criticism increases
The headwind for Xavi has increased. The development at the Blaugrana was also the subject of the program ‘El Larguero’ on the radio station ‘Cadena SER’. Journalist Jordi Martí, for example, recognizes the first signs of wear: “The team stopped halfway. They had three shots in the first half, which is very weak. The expectations were high. There is now disappointment with Xavi’s project.”
Colleague Sique Rodríguez sees it similarly. His impression is “that everyone wants things to go well for Xavi. But doubts about him keep growing. I’m not talking about the management of the club, but rather about the environment. The team is not progressing. They don’t finish their attacks. In some games they show a good level, but not more than that.”
In debt
The journalist Lluis Flaquer also sees “no development”. But on the contrary: “You get the feeling that they play worse every time.” An extremely harsh judgment when you consider that the newly assembled team is still top of the table after some very mixed years in La Liga.
However, the belief that Xavi will lead the big FC Barcelona back to the top of Europe in a short time is fading. And nothing else is expected of him after the transfers of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Co. The former world-class player will have to prove in the near future that he is also capable of great performances on the sidelines. Otherwise the critical voices will be even louder.
