Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has voiced his “unconditional support” for former pupil and under-fire Barcelona manager Xavi, saying that soccer tends to be a bit too reactionary. Guardiola also advised Barca players to learn from their defeat to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final and push harder in the other three competitions (La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League).
Real Madrid Handed Barcelona A Bitter 4-1 Defeat In Supercopa De Espana Final
Barcelona and Real Madrid squared off in the final of the Spanish Supercup at Al-Awwal Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Sunday night (January 14). Vinicius Jr. put Madrid two goals to the good inside the first 10 minutes, with Los Blancos perfectly exploiting Barca’s poorly organized offside trap.
Robert Lewandowski pulled one back for the Blaugrana in the 33rd minute, but the Catalans could not build on the goal. Vinicius completed his hat-trick in the 39th minute, restoring Madrid’s two-goal cushion. Rodrygo scored the final goal of the game in the 64th minute, taking the game away from Barca’s reach and ensuring a 4-1 victory for the All-Whites.
With Barcelona failing to live up to expectations this season, Xavi has been under fire for quite a while. Sunday’s El Clasico thumping has only increased the pressure, with a section of fans demanding the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner’s resignation.
Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Lends Support To Xavi
Guardiola, who received The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Award on Monday (January 15), however, has complete faith in Xavi and has asked everyone to dial down the panic.
Speaking after collecting The Best Award in London, Guardiola said (via ESPN):
“My advice is to keep calm. [Barça] lost a final, but next week there is another game and another competition. Support [the coach and the players] and make the decisions that have to be made at the end of the season.
“I want to send my unconditional support to Xavi and the players. The players have to take a step forward. They have shown the quality they have in the past and there is a long way to go this season.”
Guardiola added:
“There is a tendency in football to throw everything up in the air.
“This industry is so difficult. [Barça] have lost a final, OK, congratulations to the opponent and now learn from it. Madrid scored quickly, defended well, and were the better team, that’s it.”
Xavi, who guided Barca to the La Liga title in 2023, has overseen 118 games, guiding Barca to 74 wins, 20 draws, and 24 defeats.
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