19.09.2008 14:03
Xavi: “We’d be under pressure even if we were leaders”
Jordi Clos
Xavi Hernández feels the team is ready to begin a long winning streak at El Molinón. On a personal level, he would be happy to keep up his good form in the first games of the season.
One of the big names in the FC Barcelona squad, Xavi Hernández, spoke to the press on Friday about
the latest events at the club. He said the team is “ready to win” after defeating
Sporting Lisbon in their opening Champions League encounter (3-1), and the next challenge is to get
their League campaign back on track with a win at El Molinón.
“We’d like to be in a more comfortable position, but we’d be under pressure
even if we were leaders” he said. Against Sporting Gijón, “we have to try to correct
our errors and start winning in the League”.
Positive competition
Xavi does not think the team has lost any of its
spark after losing some key players over the summer. He believes “there are good enough
players in the squad to make up for the absences of the likes of Ronaldinho and Deco. We have other
important footballers and we can’t lay the blame on the players that have gone.”
The Catalan went on to reiterate that “the boss has made it clear from day one that he
has his faith in every member of the squad and that is an added motivation. Everyone has to be
alert and ready.”
On top form
Named the best player in the European
Championship, and after ten years in the first team, Xavi looked back on “good and bad
moments” in his career. But “now I feel tremendously confident of the coaching staff
and my colleagues and that helps to perform better. I have been really pleased with my own
performances and I hope things stay that way.” Xavi got another goal on Tuesday but said
“group achievements are more important than individual ones.”
Messi and Bojan
He also commented on the way things are going for Leo Messi and Bojan Krkic. He considers the
Argentinian to be “the best player in the world … he has to be selfish in the area
because that way he can make a difference … we are delighted to have him with us and that he
is an individualist, always in the good sense of the word.”
As for Bojan, he said “I think he’s fine, comfortable, settled and prepared.
He’s got natural talent, but it is the manager who decides how much he plays. But he clearly
has every faith in him.”
Captains and the Ciudad Deportiva
Two issues Barça need to sort out are the choice of captain and the transfer of training sessions
to the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper. Xavi Hernández, third choice captain in recent years, said
“we have not managed to solve the captaincy issue. We wanted to do it this week, but
couldn’t with so many people out through illness. It is a matter of a few days, when we can
all get together.” As for the venue for training sessions he said, “it is the best
option in terms of size, La Masía is too small.”