Voted the best coach in the world at the Fifa The Best ceremony, last Monday (15), Guardiola was asked on the red carpet of the awards about a colleague who has not been going through a good time: Xavi Hernández.
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The former midfielder is under pressure in charge of Barcelona, but has received support from his former coach, who has asked for time off.
“My advice? Calm down. It’s a final. It was lost, but next week there’s another game, another tournament. Give people support, and at the end of the year they will decide what they need to decide,” said Guardiola.
As a result, Xavi has faced harsh criticism in his second season in charge of Barcelona due to the team’s irregular performance.
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After winning the Spanish title in 2022/23, this season the Catalan team is far from competing for leadership, occupying fourth place, with 41 points, eight less than leader Girona and seven behind vice-leader Real Madrid.
The defeat to Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup increased pressure from fans and the Catalan press.
So much so that sporting director Deco had to publicly speak out supporting Xavi in the role. Guardiola tried to minimize the tough defeat and took the opportunity to say that Barça’s players also need to evolve.
“For my part, I want to give unconditional support to Xavi and the players, who need to take a step forward. They have already shown that they have level, quality, and that’s a lot.
There is a tendency to throw everything up in the air, and this is a difficult business. You lost a final, that’s okay, congratulate your rival and learn from it”, commented Guardiola.